Deja Vu
by imagination junkie
Summary: Post Ch423 AUish. For Sachi Kurosaki Soul Reapers existed only in her father's bedtime stories. After a familiar accident her powers awaken and she must learn to fill her role to stop history from repeating. It begins again. Future IchiRuki, RenOC, & more
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 1: First Encounter**

"Hey mom! I'm home!" Sachi shouted as she kicked off her shoes by the door next to where she had dropped her backpack. Her mother popped her head around the corner of the kitchen.

"Welcome home dear. Dinner will be ready in a bit."

"Oh it's not done yet?" Sachi asked coming into the kitchen. There were several pots on the stove, knives and vegetables strewn across the counter, and a plate of rice balls already on the dinner table.

"I'm afraid not," her mother replied turning back to the stove and stirring a pot.

"That's alright," Sachi said, grabbing a rice ball. "I'll be back before dinner."

"Wait Sachi!" her mother shouted as she ran out of the kitchen. She had her shoes on before her mother could stop her, and just as quickly she was out the door with a wave.

Sachi's mother sighed and shook her head. "That girl…everyday she's more like her father."

…

Sachi Kurosaki was 15 years old and in her freshman year of high school. She was tall, had a willowy build, and her hair was chin length, messy, and bright orange. Her mother used to tell her that she looked just like her dad. While her mother didn't say this anymore, it was still true. Sachi was always quick to smile and laugh, and had a tight group of friends at school.

All of this, besides her hair, did not make her particularly special. But there was one trait that made Sachi Kurosaki unique: she could see ghosts, and had been able to as long as she could remember.

Sachi stood in the back of a dark alley, beside a little incense burner. She had picked a few flowers on the way, but it was obvious that it wasn't really necessary as there was a large bouquet lying beside the incense burner.

"You're back." Sachi looked up at the voice and smiled. It was the ghost of young man, just a few years older than her, standing at the very end of the alley.

"Of course," she replied. "But I feel kinda of silly with these flowers now. I guess your girlfriend came by again?"

The ghost of the young man nodded sadly. He had been murdered in this alley a few weeks ago. He had said he wouldn't pass on until he found out who had done it and helped the police arrest him. Sachi had no idea how the ghost was going to do this, but she would come visit him everyday until he passed on. His girlfriend, who had been devastated by his death from what he had said, came by often and Sachi wondered if that was the real reason he didn't want to pass on.

In any case it didn't matter. She placed her poor excuse for a bouquet beside the real one and bent her head in a quick prayer for man. "Sorry I can't stay longer," she apologized, looking back to the ghost. "My mom's almost done with dinner and she'll be mad if I'm late."

"It's alright. Thank you for coming here," the ghost replied gratefully, his expression more peaceful than it had been when she had come. He smiled at her and then began to fade as ghosts did when they weren't interacting with anything.

Sachi smiled back at him and walked out of the alley, back into the throng of life that moved through downtown Nagasaki.

…

Sachi and her friends came out into the bright sunlight shining down on the roof of the school building in a burst of laughter. Her friend Kenta was the class clown and had been entertaining her and her other friends with a story about his most recent date.

This was normal for Sachi's lunches. Her high school was in one of the large residential areas within Nagasaki and therefore it didn't have much of a yard. That left either having lunch in a classroom or on the roof, and unless it was too cold or raining Sachi and her friends usually had lunch on the roof. They weren't the only ones, but they tended to make the most noise, mainly because of Kenta.

Today, instead of following her friends forward, Sachi paused by the door. On the far side of the roof there was a figure dressed in all black, with a ponytail of very red hair crouched down. What looked like a sword strapped to the figure's waist stuck out behind them. Sachi frowned. _Human or ghost?_

"You alright, Sachi?" Sachi's friend Yuzuki had stopped when she had realized Sachi wasn't with them and was now looking at her friend, concerned.

"Yea I'm fine," Sachi said with a smile. "You go on ahead. I'll catch up."

Yuzuki shrugged and walked off. Sachi's friends were used to her randomly going off to look at things by herself. They didn't know why she did it, but they never questioned it anymore.

Sachi turned again to the figure on the other side of the roof. Yuzuki couldn't see them, so it had to be a ghost. But, Sachi had never seen a ghost like that before.

…

Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, was annoyed. Very annoyed.

He had been sent to the World of the Living in order to investigate a strange spiritual pressure reading. While this usually would have been a task for a lower ranking officer, Renji had been sent as punishment for slacking too much on his paperwork. While the punishment was unusually harsh, even for Captain Kuchiki, Renji really had been slacking on his paperwork for the past decade or so and his captain had had enough.

The mission really wouldn't have been that big of a hassle, but Renji was having a hell of a time tracking the spiritual pressure. He had managed to track it here, which looked like a high school from Renji's limited experience, but his Soul Pager couldn't locate it more precisely than that and he was dreading having to search the entire school.

Renji was currently squatting on the roof messing with the Soul Pager and mentally cursing himself for not bringing better equipment. "Stupid…thing!" Renji growled under his breath, randomly pressing buttons in his frustration.

"Um, excuse me."

Renji flinched and jumped a foot in the air in surprise. He spun around to find himself facing a teenage girl. She was nearly as tall as he was, had bright orange hair, and was peering at him inquisitively.

"Y-you can see me?" Renji half-gasped, trying to regain his breath and slow his heartbeat.

"Yep," the girl told him with a smile. "You're a ghost right? But, you're not like one I've ever seen."

_Well that explains the odd spiritual pressure readings._ A girl with enough spiritual pressure to see a Soul Reaper would definitely have enough to be picked up by the Soul Society's sensors.

"That's cause I'm not an ordinary ghost. I'm a Soul Reaper." Renji said proudly, having regained his breath.

The girl blinked at him, confused, for a minute and then did the last thing he expected: she laughed. "There's no such thing!" she said after she had gotten herself under control.

Renji couldn't help but scowl. "Well obviously there are. I'm right in front of you."

The girl considered him for a moment, barely able to keep herself from grinning in amusement. "Whatever you say, _Soul Reaper_." The emphasis on the title was obviously sarcastic, but the girl's lighthearted tone took away any real bite that her comment carried. "I'm afraid I need to go eat before lunch is over, but let me know if you need any help getting a soul to pass on."

The girl gave Renji a cheeky wave and then walked off with a last giggle. Renji stood there gaping incredulously for a second before shaking his head. How she didn't believe him when he was standing right in front of her he didn't know, but now that he had found her he would have to stay and observe her for a while. Renji jumped off the roof to go find a better vantage point to watch the whole school from.

…

Renji Abarai was not an idiot. He just had a tendency to act first and think later. And as the afternoon wore on and Renji observed the girl and thought about what had happened on the roof, the more suspicious about her he became.

A human with the ability to see spirits wasn't really that unusual. Even a human that could see Soul Reapers wasn't a complete novelty. And, as she had said, if she had never seen a Soul Reaper before it really wasn't all the unreasonable that she hadn't believed him. But, she had known what a Soul Reaper does and there was no way that she could know that without someone telling her if she had never seen a Soul Reaper before.

What really tipped him off though was the way she looked. There was only one other being, human or otherwise, that he had seen who had that shade of bright orange hair. Ichigo Kurosaki. And the more he observed the girl the more it made sense. She had the same tall, slender build as Ichigo. And there was definitely a similarity between them in the confidence in her eyes and the surety in the set of her mouth.

She had to be related to him. She had to be. But, how Renji didn't know. Her eyes were a darker brown than he remembered Ichigo's being. And her face was rounder and softer than his. And where Ichigo's go-to expression had been a scowl, the girl's was a smile. She was quick to smile and laugh, and even when she wasn't her expression remained pleasant.

Renji was baffled. He had some clues about this girl, but not enough to make any sense of. It kind of blew his mind a bit. As Renji watched the girl's class was dismissed from their last class and everyone began to leave. Renji stood too. He would have to keep watching her if he was going to learn anymore and be able to fit the pieces together.

…

Sachi stood at a corner. She was going one way and her friends were going another.

"So you're up for a movie tonight, right?" Sachi's friend Mao asked.

"Of course," Sachi replied with a smile. "Just let me go home and change. I'll meet you guys at the theater." Sachi and her friends said their goodbyes, and with a final wave she headed for home. However, after walking only a few blocks she stopped.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop following me. If you have something you want to say to me, just come out and say it." At first there was no response, and Sachi might have well have been talking to the air. But after a moment there was a wooshing sound and a soft thump as a pair of feet collided with the retaining wall Sachi was walking beside.

Sachi turned and looked up at the man. This time, however, she was wearing an uncharacteristic frown in her annoyance. She took more time to examine the man here than she had on the roof. He was dressed all in black, with a sword strapped to his waist. His hair was a vibrant red color and pulled back into a messy ponytail. He had two lines of tattoos on either side of his neck and she could she hints of them on his forehead, but a white bandanna that he had tied around his head obscured them. He was quite tall and looked to be lean, but still muscular.

He was fairly good looking all together, but his hostile expression ruined the picture. But, there was a great deal of curiosity there too as he measured her with his eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked him, quickly starting to loose her patience. The man only stared at her, as if somehow his penetrating gaze could reveal something. Just as Sachi was about to turn away in exasperation the man spoke.

"Have you ever seen any strange monsters? Or heard any horrible sounds at night?"

Sachi blinked in confusion at the man. But, the way he had said it…it sent a shiver running down her spine. "No. I haven't," she said softly, trying hard to remember if she ever had.

Still his eyes bored into her. "That's good," the man said, his voice deadly serious. "But if you ever do you need to run away from it. Run for your life." Sachi shivered again, the warning in his voice ominous.

"Thanks," she said turning away hastily. "I'll keep that advice in mind." And Sachi walked away as quickly as she could without running. For some reason she couldn't understand the man's words had terrified her.

Renji watched the girl go with apprehension. He sincerely hoped that she would heed his warning. He had a bad, bad feeling about this.

**Author's Note:**

_Hey everyone! This is my second multi-chapter fic! Yay! And I'd thought I try something different, which is why it's all 3__rd__ person instead of having 1__st__ person. I came up with the idea for this story a while ago and decided to write it down and I think I'm going to roll with it. I guess it isn't really completely thought out yet, but we'll see where its goes._

_Anyways the basic premise for this story is that Ichigo never got his powers back and had a normal life and went on to marry and have a kid (Sachi) and stuff. Sachi will ultimately be paired with Renji mainly because he's one of my favorite characters and I think it sucks that he's probably never going to get Rukia. There will also be IchiRuki in the future and a few other pairings. The plot will be similar to the actual Bleach plot, but I'm hoping that it will be different enough to still be exciting._

_Oh and the story is set in Nagasaki, which I know little about, so I apologize for any inaccuracies. _

_Anyways, I'd really appreciate some reviews to let me know how people feel about this story! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 2: Looming Danger**

Renji sat on top of a skyscraper, his feet dangling over the edge of the building. It was quiet high up above the streets, with the wind and the moon as his only companions. He couldn't shake his feeling of unease however, and it left him restless. With all of this he was surprised when he didn't jump as his Soul Pager went off. But really, if he was being honest with himself, he was expecting it. He turned the Soul Pager off without looking at. Silently he stood, and leapt forward into the night.

…

"…and then he ran into the wall!"

Kenta's exclamation was followed by shouts of laughter from everyone else. Sachi and her friends were walking home from the movie. It was close to midnight and Sachi was probably going to hear from her mom about being out so late on a school night, but she really didn't care. She was having too much fun.

Kenta was telling stories like he always was and Sachi and Yuzuki were paying rapt attention. Mao and Akio, who had been dating since the end of last summer's break, were in their own little world, but they never missed one of Kenda's punch lines. It was a perfectly normal evening out with her friends, and Sachi couldn't be happier.

That was when a strange sound echoed through the night. Sachi couldn't help but freeze as a chill ran down her spine. "Did you hear that?" she asked her friends.

They all stopped and exchanged glances, shaking their heads 'no'. Sachi shivered as the sound came again, closer this time. "Are you ok?" Kenda asked. All her friends were obviously concerned. It wasn't unusual for Sachi to stop randomly, like she had seen or heard something they couldn't, but they had never seen her act like she was afraid.

As the sound came again Sachi remembered the exchange with the strange man who claimed to be a Soul Reaper from that afternoon.

"_Have you ever seen any strange monsters? Or heard any horrible sounds at night?"_

_Sachi blinked in confusion at the man. But, the way he had said it…it sent a shiver running down her spine. "No. I haven't," she said softly, trying hard to remember if she ever had. _

_Still his eyes bored into her. "That's good," the man said, his voice deadly serious. "But if you ever do you need to run away from it. Run for your life." Sachi shivered again, the warning in his voice ominous. _

"I'm fine," Sachi replied, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "Really!" she added when her friends looked skeptical. "But I think we should hurry and head home."

"Yea…" Mao agreed contemplatively, "It is getting pretty late.

So off they went. Sachi tried to discreetly hurry her friends along. The awful sound had triggered a strange fear deep inside her and she really didn't want to meet what ever it was that was making it. As Sachi and her friends turned onto a long narrow street that was jammed between the retaining walls of two housing complexes, she froze again. "Sachi? What's wrong now?" Yuzuki asked, clearly getting a bit exasperated with her friend's behavior, but this time Sachi didn't answer.

Down at the end of the street Sachi saw it. A large hulking creature blocked the end of the street. It was all too surreal for Sachi to take in completely but she saw the creature's black body and its white face. The gleaming yellow eyes set deep into its eye sockets and the very large teeth. But most of all she noticed the perfectly round hole right in the middle of the creature's chest.

Sachi and the creature stared at each other for a moment as her friends talked around her. Then the creature threw back its head and roared, and Sachi realized that it was what had been making that horrible sound that shook her vey soul. Again she remembered the man's warning. This was the kind of monster that he had been talking about.

"Run." The first time she said it, it was barely more than a whisper.

"What did you say?" someone asked.

"Run….Run!" Sachi's trance was broken and she turned shouting to her friends. "We have to run!" Sachi turned and tried to push her now very confused friends and run at the same time. It didn't work.

The monster was upon them in what seemed like an instant, barreling right through them and knocking them all down. Sachi hit her head hard enough that she saw stars, but all her friends were knocked unconscious. When she could finally focus well enough again to make sense of what she was seeing, she was horrified to see the monster leaning over Akio.

"No!" she shouted, her voice strangely strangled. She tried to stand, but her arms and legs wouldn't work right. "No!" she shouted again as the monster reached for him. Sachi was certain the creature's intention was to eat him. And then the monster lost its arm in a shower of blood.

The monster reeled back, screaming and flailing, revealing the red-haired Soul Reaper. His sword was drawn, blood coating the shining silver blade. The man turned to her, his face deadly solemn. "I thought I told you to run if you ever saw a monster."

"I tried!" Sachi protested, pulling herself to her feet with the help of the wall. "But I couldn't leave my friends!"

The Soul Reaper's face contorted in what looked like frustration. "Don't worry about them. They'll be fine." Sachi opened her mouth to object, but she was interrupted. "Get out of here now! The Hollow is after you! If you leave your friends will be safe!" He was shouting now.

The Soul Reaper turned back to the Hollow, but he left Sachi's thoughts in complete disarray. It had been after her? So this was all her fault?

Renji turned back to the Hollow to see it swinging its remaining clawed hand at him. He easily got his zanpakuto up in time to block its attack, but was chagrined to find himself pushed back. As he skidded to a stop, Renji ground his teeth together. Sure his reiatsu was sealed, but he was a freaking Lieutenant! There was no way a weak Hollow like this one should be able to push him around.

The Hollow roared again obviously intending to charge. It stopped and suddenly turned, however, as it rock bounced off its head. As it turned Renji could see past it to the girl who had her arm pulled back, clearly preparing to throw another rock.

"Hey ugly!" she shouted as she threw. "Come and get me!"

Renji nearly exploded with frustration. What was that stupid girl doing? Renji's alarm increased as the Hollow suddenly charged for her. Instead of running the girl stood her ground, her arms spread wide. Renji threw himself forward in a desperate attempt to save the foolish girl's life.

Sachi stood and waited for the Hollow to come and eat her. She was trying to be brave, but her knees were shaking and she was soaked with sweat. But from what the man had told her if she let the monster eat her then it would leave her friends alone. And her life was a small price to pay for all of theirs'.

The monster quickly loomed above her, it's mouth wide, and she closed her eyes. Instead of her death, however, there was a grunt, the screech of bone meeting steel, and the splash of a warm liquid on her face. She opened her eyes to see the Soul Reaper between her and the monster. He had wedged his sword into the creature's mouth, stopping its attack, but its mouth was too large. The monster had sunk its teeth into the right side of the man's body, his arm and side completely disappearing. Blood dripped sluggishly to ground from around the monster's teeth, and it was with horror that Sachi realized the liquid on her face must be the man's blood too.

Renji bit back his scream as the Hollow bit down harder onto his body, probably trying to bite him in half. With effort he managed to free Zabimaru from where it had gotten jammed between two of the Hollow's teeth. He managed to swing his right arm, cutting through the side of the Hollow's mouth. The Hollow instantly released him, pulling back and screaming in pain and rage.

Agony shot through Renji's right arm as it finished its swing. As it dropped to his side, Renji realized that he could no longer use it. He collapsed to his knees, supporting himself with his left hand as blood poured from his wounds.

"Soul Reaper!" the girls shouted, panic on her face, tears about to spill over in her eyes. It was hard to ignore his own blood spattered on her cheek.

"You fool…" Renji began, crumpling into a sitting position. Unable to hold his zanpakuto any longer he dropped it. It clanged ominously as it settled on the ground. "What the hell were you thinking?" he continued. "Letting the Hollow eat you wouldn't have helped. It would just eat your friends after it was done with you!"

The tears in the girl's eye spilled over as she kneeled down in front of him. Her lip was trembling, but he could tell she was trying as hard as she could to be brave. "Is there…is there anything we can do?" she asked, her voice just as shaky as the rest of her.

Renji looked toward the Hollow, which had stopped flailing about and was experimenting with its jaw to see if it sill worked. Renji felt his stomach drop as he realized that the Hollow was still easily capable of eating them. The Hollow realized it too and turned to face them.

"There's only one thing." He said looking back towards the girl. "I can't fight like this," he continued, indicating he now useless right arm. "But I can transfer some of my power to you by stabbing you with my zanpakuto." He grabbed Zabimaru with his left hand and propped it up towards her. "There's no guarantee it will work, but if it doesn't…well we're all dead anyway."

As he finished the Hollow roared and began to charge. Renji looked at the girl, meeting her eyes with as much intensity as he could muster. She met his eyes steadily. She still looked afraid, but he watched as her resolve hardened and her jaw set. "Alright Soul Reaper," she said softly as she reached forward and steadfastly grabbed Zabimaru's bare blade. "Let's do this."

And then she smiled. The Hollow was nearly upon them as Renji grinned back and ran her through.

**Author's Note:**

_Yay! Cliffhanger! Actually I was intending to put more into this chapter, but this seemed like a natural place to stop. And I didn't really want to make it longer than this anyways. And really it should be pretty easy to guess what happens next. _

_So here's the second chapter. After, what, like 9 months? Yea…my bad… I don't have any excuses really. I'm just lazy. Though I promise I haven't abandoned fanfiction forever. I've actually been re-watching Bleach recently and I'm really starting to get back into it, so the next chapter should be out fairly soon. Though I make no promises because I'm taking a full graduate class course load for this fall and it keeps me REALLY busy. _

_Also I would like to thank bored411 for so far being my one and only reviewer of this story. Thank you! And really bored411's review was the reason why I finally sat down and wrote this chapter._

_And one more thing…and just as warning I'm going to have a fangirl moment… I've always loved Renji and thought he was awesome, but after reading the most recent chapter O.M.G. he is such a freaking badass! * __fangirl squeal__*_

_Ahem…anyways…_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 3: New Student**

There was a brilliant flash of light and a strong gust of wind, the sound of steel cutting flesh, and then the Hollow began to scream again. When Renji's vision cleared he couldn't helped but be stunned by what he saw, even though he had expected it.

The Hollow had lost its other arm and was screaming and thrashing about with blood flying everywhere. Beyond it, its severed arm sat in a slowly growing pool of blood. And beyond that was the girl.

She stood perfectly still, now dressed in a Soul Reaper's black shihakushō. An enormous sword, as long as she was tall, rested casually over her shoulder. Renji looked down at himself. He was wearing only a white robe and Zabimaru was gone. Looking back up again it was all he could do not to laugh. She had taken all his powers. Her zanpakuto was enormous. It was like she was Ichigo's daughter or something.

The Hollow, enraged, stopped thrashing about and threw itself toward Sachi. She lifted the sword off her shoulder and pointed it straight forward as the monster charged. She yelled a challenge. "Come on, ugly!"

The monster roared, opening its jaws as wide as it could. Sachi hefted the sword up and with a fierce yell sliced the monster's head clean in two. It gave a last dismal little wail as it disintegrated into nothing.

Sachi straightened and just stood for a moment, catching her breath and allowing her adrenaline rush to subside. It had all happened so quickly that she hadn't even really thought about. The Soul Reaper had stabbed her with his sword. Power had flooded through her and she had sliced the monster's arm off. It had come at her again and she had killed it.

She lifted her sword up and inspected it. It was bigger than any sword she had ever seen. It should have been so heavy that she couldn't lift it, but when she flicked her wrist about experimentally she had no problem handling it. Where it had come from exactly she wasn't sure. The Soul Reaper had said he would give her some his power, but his sword was nowhere near this big. The guard was the same though. This sword had the same lightening shaped pattern on the guard as his had.

She inspected herself some more. She was dressed in the same black outfit as the Soul Reaper was. And a thick braided leather cord crossed her chest and attached to a sheath on her back that was large enough she accommodate the sword. Carefully, because she really didn't want to cut her own head off, she sheathed the sword.

It was then that she looked around. Her friends were safe behind her. Any evidence of the monster, including its arms and the blood had disappeared with it. And then there was the Soul Reaper. She jogged over to him. "Are you alright?" she asked slowing to a stop in front of him.

"I'll live," he replied gruffly, easing himself up into what was probably a more comfortable sitting position. She couldn't help but a stare a little. His sword and his black clothing were gone and he was dressed only in a white robe. "So, uh, what happened?" she asked, indicating their current states.

The Soul Reaper let a long sigh. "You know how I said I was going to give you _some_ of my power?" She nodded, not really sure where this was going. "Well it seems that somehow you took _all_ of my power."

"Ah..." Sachi managed to say as she plopped down on the ground in front of him, which required some shifting about of the sword on her back. She was quiet for a second as she thought. Somehow this sounded strangely familiar. "So how do a give it back?"

"You can't," the Soul Reaper answered, both sounding and looking like he was trying really hard not to be angry. "It'll come back on its own after a while."

"Ok." Sachi felt kind of relieved. It's not like she'd wanted to take all of his power. And while it wouldn't be right away at least he'd get it back eventually. That was when she realized what they'd never said. "So, what's your name Soul Reaper?" she asked with a smile, trying to lift the mood.

Renji watched the girl carefully for a moment. He was wondering how she'd react when he told her. "Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads."

"Renji huh? That's an interesting…" the girl's voice trailed off and she got a look in her eyes like she was remembering something from a long, long time ago.

Renji Abarai. She had heard that name. She _knew_ that name. Why? And slowly the memories bubbled to the surface of her consciousness. The stories that her father had told her when she was a little kid. Stories about Soul Reapers and Hollows and adventure and danger. And there had been a Soul Reaper in them by the name of Renji Abarai and he had red hair.

Renji blinked in surprise as the girl suddenly surged to her feet. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed practically jumping around. "It's you!" She pointed at him and then clapped her hands over her mouth. She looked completely shocked.

"Huh? What do you mean 'it's me'?" he asked, confused. "It's you!" she cried turning in a circle, gesturing wildly. "Renji Abarai! The one from the stories!" She turned around again and ran her hand through her hair. "They were true. I can't believe they're true!"

This only confused Renji more and considering how his evening had gone her cryptic raving was starting to grate in his nerves. "What stories?" What's true?" he ground out through his teeth.

"The stories my dad told me when I was a kid. They were about Soul Reapers and Hollows, and there was a guy named Renji Abarai! You! That was you! And the main character was…was…" the girl suddenly fell silent, and slowly reached her hand back to grasp the hilt of her zanpakuto.

The girl's mercurial mood was too much for Renji to handle. "And?" he prompted.

"The main character…" she began much more quietly this time. "Was a Soul Reaper with a sword as long as he was tall." This pronouncement seemed to drain her of the last of her energy and she sank slowly to the ground in front of him, a disbelieving expression on her face.

That answer was all Renji needed to hear. "Tell me…" The girl looked up at him, but her eyes weren't really focused on him. "Is you father Ichigo Kurosaki?" Suddenly the girl's attention snapped back and focused on him. She looked at him warily at first and then her energy seemed to drain again.

"Yes," she replied wearily. Sachi looked down, unable to maintain eye contact with the man in front of her. The man that had come to life from her childhood stories "Those stories he used to tell me…they were about him weren't they?"

Renji nodded. "Probably, yes. And your name is…?"

"Sachi Kurosaki." Her voice was barely above a whisper this time. They were quiet for a long moment, both lost in their own thoughts.

Even though Renji had seen it coming since she had approached him on the school roof, he was till dumbfounded that she was Ichigo's daughter. Ichigo had gone and had a kid. And here she was sitting in front of him in a shihakushō with an enormous zanpakuto slung across her back. Talk about déjà vu.

And then there was what he had done. He was such an idiot. He had done exactly what Rukia had done with Ichigo already knowing what had happened to them. He was glad that he had saved both their lives, as well as the lives of her friends, but he didn't think that the authorities in Soul Society would were going to be very forgiving. There was the possibility that things could get very dangerous for both of them.

Sachi was in utter disbelief. Sure she had believed the stories her dad told her when she was little, but at 15 of course she had long stopped. She knew ghosts were real because she could see them, but all that stuff about Soul Society had seemed too fantastic to be true as she had gotten older. She would have kept denying it if the proof wasn't directly in front of her.

And then there was the fact that the stories had been about her dad. It was impossible for her to reconcile the man that she knew as her dad with the man who was the hero in those stories.

Finally Renji broke the silence. "So… what exactly did Ichigo say about me?" he asked looking up at Sachi. He was honestly curious.

Sachi jumped a little in surprise at his voice. She gave him an apologetic look, and reached her hand back to scratch the back of head. Any doubts Renji had about her parenthood vanished with that one movement. It was classic Ichigo.

"Well…he said that he could never get through to you without beating you up first…" Renji snorted in derision. That sounded like Ichigo all right. "But, " she continued, "He said that you were a really good friend."

Renji's attitude softened a bit. It was true that they had been very good friends. Sachi suddenly looked thoughtful. "He always made it sound kinda like you were rivals though…"

"Yea…that sounds about right." Renji murmured, his thoughts drifting to a certain black-haired, petite Soul Reaper.

They were both quite again for a moment, until Sachi looked down the street at her friends. "Are my friends going to be OK?" she asked, worry turning down the corners of her mouth and creasing her brow.

"Yea," Renji replied. "They'll be fine."

…

And so they were. The next morning found Sachi sitting at her desk at school, surrounded by her friends who were completely unharmed except for the crazy story that they were telling. Renji had used some strange device on all of them that he said would erase their memories and replace them with new ones.

The device had certainly done that, but the memory that it had used as a replacement didn't make sense. According to her friends a truck carrying bananas had crashed and spilled bananas all over the street. They all had slipped on banana peels and hit their heads causing them all to get knocked out. What had happened to all the bananas between when they had gotten knocked out and when they woke up no one said and Sachi was too afraid to ask.

But still, Sachi was glad they were all OK. She was still kind of worried about Renji though. She had reluctantly left him there all by himself to walk her friends home. He had said there was a guy already on his way with some stuff that he needed, but she still couldn't help but be concerned.

"Heeey…Earth to Sachi!" Sachi was brought back to reality but the sound of Yuzuki's voice and a hand waving in front of her face. Sachi looked sheepishly up at her friends.

Yuzuki sighed. "You sure have been zoning out a lot lately."

"Have I? Sorry…"

Kenta smirked. "She just hit her head harder than the rest of us last night," he said and snickered.

"Yea," Sachi agreed, "That must be it." And then her eyes glazed over again as she stared off into space, lost in thought. Sachi's friends exchanged skeptical glances. They were used to her acting kind of weird, but this was stranger than normal and they were worried.

The sound of a door sliding open and sudden silence around them drew everyone's attention. "Hey Sachi," Mao nudged her and whispered. "Have you seen him before?" Sachi looked towards the door and her jaw dropped open in surprise.

In the door to her classroom stood red-haired, tattooed Renji Abarai. He was dressed in the school uniform of navy blue pants and jacket with a white shirt however, his shirt was unbuttoned a bit lower than normal, revealing the beginning of the tattoos on his chest. In addition the tattoos on his neck were clearly visible and he had a white headband wrapped around his forward. A bag was slung over his shoulder.

Renji, with a bored look plastered on his face, slid the door shut behind him and made his way to the back of the classroom as whispers erupted around him.

"So that's the new guy I keep hearing people talk about." Kenda commented.

"He's kinda scary looking…" Mao replied.

"Scary? He looks like a yakuza thug." Akio snorted with distaste.

"I think he's hot!" Everyone rolled his or her eyes at Yuzuki's input. She was known for having a thing for 'dangerous' guys.

Sachi was unable to speak she was so surprised. All that came from her was a muted choking sound. "Sachi?" Mao turned to her concerned. "You do look like you know him!"

All eyes were on her now as she struggled to come up with something that sounded convincing. "He's, uh, a friend of my family…?" That was actually kind of truthful.

All of her friends just stared at her. Akio cocked an eyebrow. "Was that a question?" He sounded completely unconvinced.

"No…" Sachi suddenly jumped up. "Let me go talk to him real quick."

Renji had just settled into an empty desk at the back of the room when a finger appeared an inch from his nose. "What are you doing here?" Sachi hissed, leaning over the desk her face less than a foot from his.

"What does it look like? Going to school," Renji replied perfectly calm.

Sachi's eye twitched. "That's not what I meant."

"I know that's not what you meant, but what do you want me to say?" Their conversation had gotten louder and now the rest of the class was dead silent, watching them.

After a brief stare down Sachi grabbed Renji's hand and hauled him to his feet. "Come with me," she said, her voice practically dripping venom. Renji allowed himself to be dragged from the room.

…

The bell rang as Sachi opened the door to the roof. For once in her life she ignored it. Once Renji was through the door she dropped his hand and spun towards him.

"Shouldn't we go back to class? That was the bell wasn't it?" Renji asked casually, his thumb pointed back over his shoulder at the door.

"Not until you tell me why you're here!" There was the accusatory finger again. "Weren't you going to go back to Soul Society?"

Renji sighed. "I can't." he said, defeated.

Sachi was dumbfounded for a moment. "Why not?"

Renji scowled at her frustration clear on his face. "Because you took all of my power last night. I can't open the portal to get back to Soul Society without my power!" Sachi's anger deflated. "And what are you so surprised about anyway?" Renji was letting his irritation show now. "This is exactly what happened to your dad!"

Sachi turned around and walked to the edge of the roof. After looking down at the schoolyard for a moment she turned back around and leaned against the railing. Renji waited hands in his pockets.

"Right. Sorry…" she began, running a hand through her hair. "It's been a long time since I heard the stories. I forgot." Her face had taken on a pinkish tinge from embarrassment.

Renji scratched his own head. "Don't worry about it." He conceded. "But me not being able to go home isn't the only problem. Without my power I can't fight Hollows and-"

"You need me do it right?" Sachi interrupted. Renji nodded. "Yea…I remember that part," she added.

"This isn't just a game though," Renji began completely serious. "This will become your duty until my power comes back. You have to be willing to risk your life."

"I'll do it." There was no hesitation or indecision in Sachi's response. The determination in her eyes reminded Renji of Ichigo. Still Renji was surprised that she had committed so readily. It must have shown on his face because she continued.

"It's my fault isn't it? Besides you almost died to save my life. This is the least I can do." Her smile was back and Renji found himself smiling in return, despite his reservations.

"Come on, let's get back to class, " Renji said over his shoulder, turning to open the door.

"And Renji?" Renji looked back to see Sachi looking at her feet, her face even redder in embarrassment than before. "Sorry I got mad at you before. You just surprised me, that's all." She looked up at him, her eyes seeking forgiveness.

"D-don't worry about it," Renji, hardened warrior that he was, found he was too bashful to meet her eyes. Apologizing was definitely not something Ichigo would have done. As much as Sachi reminded him of Ichigo she definitely wasn't a copy of him, and he had a sneaking suspicion that he was going to have to face that fact at some point.

**Author's Note:**

_OK here's chapter 3! I'm actually pretty happy with the way this chapter came out. However, this is probably the last chapter you'll see before the semester is over. I've got something due every week from now until the middle of December except for the first week of November. I also had an interview for an internship on Friday, and if I get it I definitely won't have free time anymore. Hopefully I'll be able to get another chapter out soon, but don't count on it. _

_As you can see the plot is still following Bleach pretty closely. It'll kinda be like this for a while with Sachi and Renji having adventures in the real world. However, I promise that once Renji gets his powers back it'll head in a different direction. And I know I made a pretty cryptic reference to Ichigo in this chapter, but you'll find out more about what's going on with that as the story goes along._

_So this time around I had 4 reviews! Thank you to bored411 for reviewing again and to my first time reviewers lovetowrite1, Ryoshiro, and ! All of you are awesome. As always reviews aren't required, but I really appreciate them and they encourage me to write!_

_A couple more quick notes:_

_The line '_he said that he could never get through to you without beating you up first' _is pretty much paraphrased from the third Bleach movie Fade to Black and I take no credit for it._

_I'm sure I'm not the only one who's noticed this, but the design on the guard of Ichigo's first zanpakuto is the same as the design on Rukia's when her zanpakuto is sealed. I though that was really cool, so I decided to include it in this and I will be referring to the similarity between the guards of Sachi's and Renji's zanpakutos more in later chapters._

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 4: Learn By Doing**

Lunchtime found Renji sitting in a quiet corner of the roof, hunched over his soul pager. He was about to do the thing he was dreading most: call his Captain and report what had happened the night before.

Renji dialed in the number (the soul pagers acted as phones while in the real world) and held the soul pager to his ear. It rang once, twice, and then his captain picked up. "This is Captain Byakuya Kuchiki," he said in his normal, cold tone.

"Good morning Captain Kuchiki!" Renji began, trying as hard as he could to keep his nervousness out of his voice. "I'm calling in to make my report, sir!"

"It's not morning Renji."

"Huh?" Renji was confused.

Renji heard his Captain sigh before continuing. "It is after noon Renji. It is no longer morning."

"R-right! I'm sorry Captain Kuchiki! Good afternoon sir! I'm calling to make my report!" Renji grimaced. This was _not_ a good way for this conversation to start.

Renji heard Byakuya pause, as if he was considering whether Renji's correction was good enough. Finally, "Proceed."

And that was when Renji realized exactly what he was about to do. The Central 46 that had replaced the one that Aizen had killed had tightened the restrictions on transferring Soul Reaper powers to humans in an attempt to prevent what had happened to Ichigo and Rukia from happening again. He would probably get thrown in prison for the rest of his life if someone found out what had happened. And Sachi would be killed without a second thought.

"N-nothing Captain! I haven't found anything yet…" Renji held his breath as he waited for Byakuya to answer.

"Very well…" came the disinterested reply and Renji sighed in relief. "What do you plan on doing to complete your mission?" Renji froze at that. He hadn't been excepting his Captain to ask him if he had plan. That wasn't really Renji's style.

" Well uh…I uh…" Renji floundered for words for a minute before he came up what with what was quite possibly his stupidest idea ever. He made a hissing sound behind his teeth. "I'm sorry Captain," more hissing noise. "You're breaking up. I-" And then Renji hung up.

Renji sat frozen for a moment, completely stunned at what he had just done. His head dropped into his hands as he realized that he was dead. He was _so _dead. Captain Kuchiki would have his hide when he got back to Soul Society.

"Who were you talking to?" Renji jumped, but managed to bite back his yelp. Whirling around he saw Sachi squatting behind him, her expression inquisitive.

Rather than answering, he snapped at her. "Would you quit sneaking up on me like that?"

The corners of Sachi's mouth turned down. "Who's sneaking?" she scoffed. "You're the Soul Reaper here right? Shouldn't you, like, sense me coming or something?"

Renji bit back a nasty remark. She was right of course. He should have sensed her behind him, but he had been distracted both just then and the day before. Instead he answered her question, albeit reluctantly. "I was talking to my Captain," he grumbled.

Sachi considered this. She knew that Renji's Captain had been in the stories her dad had told her. "Byakuya…Kuchiki…right?" she said slowly, as she drew the name from deep within her memory.

Renji looked surprised. "That's right. You remembered?"

Sachi smiled and stood up. "Yep, it's all starting to come back now." She offered Renji her hand to help him stand, which he accepted. "Come on. Let's go eat lunch," she said and promptly walked away from him.

"Lunch?" he questioned, following.

"Yep!" she told him, throwing another smile at him over her shoulder.

…

Being disliked wasn't new to Renji. After all it had taken him quite some time to earn respect from his non-Rukongai classmates at the Soul Reaper Academy. But, this was on a whole new level. He could practically feel the distrust in the gazes of Sachi's friends.

Sachi had just introduced him. He stood next to Sachi, her friends seated in a loose semicircle around them and Renji couldn't avoid sizing them up in the same way that they were sizing him up.

Akio eyed him with dislike bordering on disgust. As soon as Renji had walked up he had put a protective arm around Mao's shoulder. Mao looked absolutely terrified. Kenta wore a lackadaisical expression, but the sharpness in his eyes betrayed him as being far keener than he acted. The eager look in Yuzuki's eye as she inspected Renji made him distinctly uncomfortable.

Renji looked over at Sachi to compare her to her friends. In all honesty Renji wasn't sure how the entire group fit together. They were all quite different. But, he supposed as he thought back, Ichigo's group of friends hadn't quite fitted together either.

Sachi couldn't help but feel chagrined. Her friends looked between her and Renji, hostility in their eyes for him and expressions that questioned her insanity for her. Except, of course, for Yuzuki who couldn't keep her eyes off of Renji.

The awkwardness became too much for Sachi. She grabbed Renji's sleeve, and pulled him down into a sitting position beside her. After handing him some stuff she had bought at the lunch counter, because he didn't seem to have a brought a lunch, she tried to distract her friends. Unfortunately they were not so eager to move on yet.

Renji stared at the food in his hands. He had seen this kind of 'convenience food' before but he had never gotten the chance to exam any of it closely. And it was awfully nice of Sachi to buy it for me. He glanced over at her. She still seemed uncomfortable. Well he couldn't blame her. Renji supposed the best thing he could was try to make himself as invisible as possible for the time being.

He had just begun to inspect the packaging of the food in order to figure out how to open it when Yuzuki spoke. "So…Renji…How do you know Sachi? She said you were a family friend or something?" she asked in a sweet voice that was almost certainly intended to butter him up.

Renji looked up to find Yuzuki looking at expectantly at him, the hunger in her eyes that made him uncomfortable still there. In fact all of her friend's expression had different levels of expectation in them. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Sachi. She looked apprehensive.

"Uh yea. I've, uh, known her family for years." Her friends seem to accept the answer and the intensity of their focus on him seemed to relax some. This made Renji feel a bit bold. "I actually worked with her dad a while back."

Everyone froze, various mixtures of horror and disgust on their faces. Renji was baffled. What had he said that was wrong? "Dude. How old are you anyway?" Akio's voice was ice.

"Well…uh…" Renji really didn't know how to answer _that_ question.

"I-it's nothing like that!" Sachi said, laughing awkwardly and waving her hands in front of her face. "He meant that he did an internship with my dad a few summers back. Right Renji?" she elbowed him in the side to emphasize her point.

"Y-yea! That's what I meant!" But it was already too late. The damage had been done. Sachi sighed inwardly. Her friends were never going to accept Renji now. This was going to be a long day.

…

Renji was very glad when the last class of the day rolled around. Clearly he had screwed everything up at lunch, as Sachi's friends seemed certain now that he was some kind of criminal. Poor Sachi had spent most of the afternoon going between him and her friends trying to repair the horrible impression that Renji had given them.

In the end Sachi had been forced to give up. So she dropped back behind her friends as they walked to their last class to talk to Renji. "You're going to love this next class," she told him. "The teacher is super creepy."

"How so?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"He looks like a snake!" she replied emphatically, wiggling her fingers at him in a 'boogie-woogie' kind of way.

"Really?" Renji's tone had turned skeptical.

"Yep!" Sachi told him cheerily. "Everyone calls him Hebi-sensei outside of class."

They had reached the classroom. Sachi stepped back so that Renji could go in before her. "Go on," she whispered to him conspiratorially. "Go in!"

Renji wasn't so sure about all of this, but allowed Sachi's little push against his back to propel him into the classroom. And that was when Renji froze. He broke out in a cold sweat and his mind reeled. Except for having black hair, the teacher in front of him was the spitting image of Gin Ichimaru.

"Ah," the teacher said. "You must be the new student, Renji Abarai?" Renji nodded dumbly. "It's nice to meet. I'm your history teacher, Gin Ichihara." The man's mouth stretched into the wide grin that Ichimaru was so famous for wearing.

Again Renji nodded dumbly. He really shouldn't have been so surprised. After all people in Soul Society were reincarnated back into the real world all the time. But knowing that it happened and seeing it were two very different things.

"Renji?" Sachi asked quietly, wondering why had suddenly stopped in the doorway. From the glimpse she got of his face he looked rather pale.

"Ms. Kurosaki?" Sachi snapped to attention, looking up as the teacher addressed her. "Why don't you show Mr. Abarai here to his seat." The man's grin made a chill run down her spine. Ichihara was generally regarded as the creepiest teacher at the school. Sachi completely agreed with that assessment.

"Yes Mr. Ichihara…" She slipped in past Renji, grabbed the sleeve of his jacket, and made her way to her seat with him in tow. They both sat down, but Renji still appeared to be in daze.

"Renji…" she whispered, concerned, as she unpacked her bag. "Are you ok? You look like you've seen a ghost."

That seemed to snap him out of it as he suddenly ran his hands over his face. "It's because I pretty much have…" he murmured back, the irony of Sachi's comment apparently lost on him.

"What do you mean?"

Renji turned to Sachi and she was surprised by how intense his expression was. "In all those stories Ichigo told you did he ever tell you about a guy named Gin Ichimaru?"

Sachi frowned for a moment as she thought back. "Yes…he was one of the Captains who betrayed Soul Society with Aizen right?"

Renji nodded. "Well that guy looks just like him."

Sachi blinked at him, surprised. "Just like him?" She sounded a bit incredulous.

Renji nodded again. "Yea…it surprised me."

Sachi opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Ichihara. "Ms. Kurosaki, Mr. Abarai I would appreciate if you two would stop interrupting my class." He was smiling, but the remark came across as a threat.

"Sorry sir." They replied in unison and they both began to take notes.

Sachi wasn't paying much attention, however. Finding out her history teacher was the reincarnation of someone from her dad's stories somehow made them all the more real. And the new knowledge, considering everything that her father had told her Ichimaru had done, somehow made Ichihara's smile even creepier.

…

By the middle of class Renji had had enough and was ready for the day to be over. He was exhausted and everything had just been way too stressful. An Ichimaru look-a-like teaching him Japanese history didn't really help either. He was just about to nod off when his soul pager went off.

"Mr. Abarai…" Ichihara had turned to face him, his voice was laced with irritation and he was no longer smiling. Everyone was staring at him. Renji pulled the beeping soul pager out with a grimace and flipped it open.

Renji stood up abruptly. "I'm sorry Mr. Ichihara but I need to see the nurse!" Ichihara's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Sachi!" Renji exclaimed, leaning over and grabbing her arm. "Why don't you show me where the nurse is!"

"Wait a second! What are you doing!" Sachi asked, half panicking. Renji ignored her and instead dragged her out of the classroom's back door and down the hallway. Sachi fought him the whole way, but it wasn't until they got outside that she was able to wrench her arm out of his grasp.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped at him angrily.

Renji didn't look at her, but pulled out his soul pager again. "There's a Hollow."

Renji held up the soul pager for Sachi to see. She squinted at the screen. There was some kind of grid, a few triangular shapes, and big blinking dot. "How is that a Hollow?" she asked, still irritated.

"No time," Renji said, pulling the soul pager away and shoving a little green pill into her face instead. Sachi took it, now thoroughly confused. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"It's a gikongan, " Renji said over his shoulder. Clearly he was in a hurry. "It'll separate your soul from your body."

Sachi frowned for a moment, thinking. "Didn't my dad have something like this and it caused a riot at his school?"

Renji rolled his eyes. "Yea, but that's not a mod soul," he answered. "I checked!" Renji added defensively when Sachi raised her eyebrow at him. "Now hurry up. We don't have time to waste here."

Sachi shrugged and, reluctantly, popped the pill in her mouth and swallowed. There was a strange kind of pulling sensation from her chest and then her soul popped out of her body. Sachi stumbled forward until she caught herself. "Whoa…that was weird…" she murmured to herself.

"Hurry!" Renji yelled. He was already almost to the schoolyard gate.

Sachi turned around and looked at her body, which was standing calmly behind her. It was rather unnerving actually, but she couldn't just let it stand there. "G-go back to class. And make sure you take good notes!"

Her body snapped her a crisp salute and replied, "Yes ma'am!" It then turned and walked back into the school building. After another brief hesitation, as she really wasn't sure about the whole gikongan thing, Sachi turned and ran after Renji.

…

When Sachi caught up with Renji he was standing outside a small park about a mile from the school. He had his soul pager out again and was looking at it apprehensively.

"So where's this Hollow?" Sachi asked, leaning against the fence and trying to catch her breath. Instead of answering he looked up and pointed.

An eerie howl, like the one from last night, echoed through the park. There were crashing noises from among the trees and then the ghost of a young boy came tearing out of the tree line, followed by a towering Hollow.

A chill ran up Sachi's spine and fear rooted her feet to the ground. She had agreed to do this, but the fact was that she was terrified.

"What are you waiting for?" Renji yelled. "Get going!" Sachi turned to him the fear showing clearly through her eyes. Renji's stomach dropped. "Listen," he said more quietly this time, but with more intensity. He put his hands on her shoulders and gave her a little shake.

"I know this is scary and I'm not going to lie to you and say that it's all fun and games. Slaying Hollows is the duty of a Soul Reaper. And that means that sometimes you have to risk your life, and yes, some Soul Reapers get killed. But, you can do this. You did it last night and you can do it again!"

"But…" Fear still sat heavy in Sachi's stomach. "But last night was a fluke! I don't know what I'm doing!" Sachi protested.

Renji ground his teeth together. "I'll train you ok? Just learn by doing right now!" With that he gave her a shove forward into the park.

Renji's shove seemed to break the stupor that Sachi's fear had cast over her and, searching for some comfort, she reached back to grip the hilt of her sword. She was still afraid however, and she watched the young boy run for his life as she struggled with her fear.

She couldn't just keep standing there she decided, but she couldn't quite get her legs to work. Then the boy tripped and fell. The Hollow roared and reached out to grab the boy. The boy turned around and began to scream, but stopped as Sachi appeared in front of him.

Sachi drew her sword and lifted it. The Hollow's handed collided with it and she stood braced, one hand on the hilt, the other on the dull side of the blade, and the blade itself embedded in the Hollow's hand.

"Don't just sit there! Run!" Sachi yelled at the boy. He stared at her for a moment, tears in his eyes and then scrambled to his feet and away. Sachi turned back to the Hollow and with a yell, managed to slice the top of its hand off.

The Hollow reeled back roaring, blood spraying everywhere. It then brought its other arm around making to grab Sachi. She cut off its other hand too.

"Cut its head in half!" Renji yelled from the fence. "You've got to cut its head in half!"

"I know!" Sachi shot back. She turned again to the Hollow in time to see it lunge at her face first. She leapt above it as its face collided with the dirt and brought her sword down as she began to fall. The sword sliced the Hollow's head in half and it dissolved away into nothing.

Sachi stood still for a moment, panting and allowing the adrenaline rush to fade. She looked up at the sky and considered whether or not she could really do this Soul Reaper thing. She was still afraid but, as she remembered the boy's terrified face, how could she stand by and watch other souls get hurt when she could do something about it? No, she decided. She would do this for real.

Sachi's hand tightened around the hilt of her sword with new resolution as she turned back towards Renji.

"Don't sheathe your zanpakuto yet," Renji called, waving Sachi over. "You still need to perform the konso."

"Konso?"

"Yea," Renji answered, gently pulling the boy around to face Sachi from where he had hidden behind his leg. "You've got to send him to Soul Society."

The boy pulled at Renji's pant leg. "I don't want to go anywhere mister. I'm scared."

Renji sighed, squatted down in front of the boy, and put his hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry," Renji told the boy. "Soul Society is a nice place. You'll be safe there and you'll be able to live in peace."

"Really?" the boy asked, his face scrunched up in uncertainty.

Renji couldn't help but smile. "I promise. You ready now?" The boy nodded and Renji turned him around to face Sachi again. "Just place the end of the hilt against his forehead," he softly instructed her.

Sachi did as she was told, the end of her hilt leaving a glowing mark on the boy's forehead. A glowing, blue circle formed under the boy and he sank into it, leaving water like ripples behind as he disappeared. A black butterfly, its wings lined with pink, emerged out of the circle and flew up into the sky.

Sachi and Renji watched the butterfly disappear into the afternoon sunlight.

**Author's Note:**

_Here's Chapter 4. Ta da! I got lucky and had enough time to write it. However, I'm definitely not going to have enough time to write another one until around Christmas. This is also the longest chapter that I've written for this story so far, but most of them probably won't be this long._

_Sorry if I made Byakuya look like an ass at the beginning, but I can seriously see him being a stickler for that kind of stuff. Also the inclusion of Ichihara probably seemed really random: it's not. I actually plan of using him a lot later on. Also if you're wondering why his name is Ichihara it's because that's what the spell-check wanted to change Ichimaru to and I was like 'Why not?". _

_Hebi means snake in Japanese by the way. I know the inclusion of Japanese like sensei is inconsistent with the rest of the story but Hebi-sensei sounded a lot better to me than Mr. Hebi or Mr. Snake so that's why I used it._

_Fun fact: When I was looking for a new avatar I saw one that had like a real life version of Ichimaru on it. It was the CREEPIEST THING EVER. Yea._

_And I'm definitely going to finish this story one day. I wrote a scene towards the end because I couldn't stop thinking about it and it's totally awesome and I really want to use it!_

_Anyways, this time I only had 3 reviews. I guess not a lot of reviews means people are pretty happy about it, but I still like to hear from people. This time I'd like to thank bored411, , and Ryoshiro! You've all reviewed more than once so thank you for all your support!_

_And to answer your question bored411- no Ichigo does not still have his powers. You'll find out more about that later. Like much later._

_Have a Happy Thanksgiving!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 5: Settling In**

Sachi went straight to her room and collapsed on her bed when she got home that night. She was _exhausted_. She sighed and rolled over on to her back to stare at the ceiling. She couldn't help but wonder if everyday from now until whenever Renji got his powers back would be like this.

Renji. She wondered where he had gone. She had asked where he was staying, but he had refused to tell her.

"Sachi! Dinner's ready!" her mom called from the kitchen.

Sachi sighed again as she got up. Oh well. She would see him again at school tomorrow right?

…

Later that night found Sachi sitting at her desk working on her homework. Halfway through her math problems she laid her head down on her desk and sighed. Geez, but she was tired. She closed her eyes and decided that taking a nap right there would be just fine.

But, she couldn't even doze let alone sleep. She shivered a bit, and remembered how chilly it was supposed to be tonight. She looked over at her bed and frowned a bit. She was going to need a heavier blanket. With a yawn she stood, walked over to her closet, and slid the door open.

She stared for a brief moment in shock. Then she screamed, stumbled backwards, and promptly fell on her but. Lying cramped up inside her closet, a textbook propped upon against his legs and flashlight on his stomach, was Renji.

He turned to look at her, his expression making it look like _she _was the on intruding. "What'd you scream for?"

Sachi ignored his question. "You! Wh-what are you doing in my closet!" she yelled.

Renji turned and sat up, his feet now on the floor. "Well…" he replied, a bit sheepishly, "I didn't have anywhere else to go."

Sachi was standing now. And while it took a lot for her to get angry, she was definitely pissed now. It showed on her face, her brows knit tightly together with a scowl that would rival Ichigo's at his worst. "So you thought it would be a good idea to live in my _closet_?"

Renji frowned a bit. He could understand her being upset, but should she really be this mad? "Well yeah. That's what Rukia did you know. She lived in your dad's closet."

"I know!" Sachi yelled. "But that doesn't mean it was ok! I mean people just don't do that!" She was pacing now, throwing her arms wide in wild gestures. Suddenly she turned back to Renji. "How'd you even get in here anyways?"

Renji pointed behind her, completely deadpan. Sachi whipped around to see her window. The fire escape? Sachi was put out for moment. That was a pretty good idea actually. And it was also totally creepy that he had thought of that. Come to think of it how had he figured out where she lived? She was definitely keeping her window locked from now on.

Sachi turned around to yell at Renji some more when she was interrupted by a voice outside her door. "Nee-san? Why are you yelling so much?"

Sachi and Renji both froze. Renji was confused. Sachi had a younger sibling? Sachi was freaked. This was very, very bad.

"Nee-san?" The door handle began to turn. Sachi sprang into action, pushing Renji back into the closet and slamming the door shut.

The door to Sachi's room swung open to reveal her five year old brother, Tarou.

"Tarou." Sachi pasted the biggest, happiest smile on her face that she could manage while still being mad. Her little brother stared up at her inquisitively. "What're you doing in here?" she managed to grind out between her teeth while still sounding pleasant.

"I heard yelling in here," Tarou answered, with all the innocence demanded of his years.

"Don't worry about that. I'm just, uh, practicing a sketch for a class." It was amazing that she was able to keep that smile on her face.

Inside the closet Renji was uncomfortably cramped, but he didn't dare move from the position he had been in when Sachi had closed the door. As he lay there, feeling his legs fall asleep, his mind whirled. Ichigo had _another_ kid? This was getting ridiculous.

"A sketch?" Tarou's face was screwed up in confusion.

"Uh-huh! It's like a play," Sachi told him.

Tarou still looked up at her skeptically and Sachi started to get nervous. Fortunately she was saved by her mother's call. "Sachi! Tarou! Do you want some dessert? I've got ice cream!"

Tarou whipped around, excited, and ran off, his earlier concerns completely forgotten. "Coming in a minute," Sachi called before closing her door and leaning her head against it with a sigh. That had been way too close.

Sachi turned to the closet again, her anger reigniting. She threw the door open, revealing a very confused and uncomfortable looking Renji. He just stared up at her, blinking occasionally as she glared down at him.

"Fine," she hissed at him. Renji winced internally. Clearly she was still mad. "You can live in my closet. But I swear if any of my family sees you you're going to go to jail for the rest of your life!"

Sachi reached in behind him, grabbed a blanket, and slammed the door shut. Renji let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. That had not gone well, just like the rest of Renji's day. As he shifted himself into a position that was slightly less awkward he began to wonder if he was going to be able to survive living in the real world until his powers came back.

…

Renji knew that what he was about to do was dangerous, but he didn't care. Why? Because he _had_ to know what was going on.

As quietly as he could Renji eased himself out of the closet and then out of Sachi's room into a short hallway. It was dark to his left with several closed doors. To his right there was light and the sound of people talking. He could make out Sachi's voice. Sneakily he crept down to the end of the hallway on the right and peered around the corner.

There was a small, but well-appointed kitchen, beyond that a family room, and closest to him a square, Western style table. Sachi sat with her back to him and three other people, that Renji could only assume was her family, sat with her.

To her left there was middle-aged man. He looked like he'd probably be shorter than Sachi standing and he was stout, with a very round face. He had dark hair and dark eyes. A younger boy, who Renji assumed was Tarou, sat to Sachi's right. He was like the man in miniature and looked to be around 5.

Across from Sachi sat a beautiful woman who could only be her mother. She was petite, with dark hair and dark eyes. Sachi must have gotten her smile from her Renji thought as he watched the woman laugh. There was a dull ache in his chest as Renji looked at her. Sachi's mother's resemblance to Rukia was so strong it hurt. No wonder Ichigo had gotten involved with her.

But seeing Sachi's family just raised more questions, with the main one being _where the hell was Ichigo_?

The questions still plaguing him, Renji retreated back to Sachi's closet before he got caught.

…

Sachi had gone to bed a while ago, but Renji couldn't sleep. Part of the problem was that he couldn't get comfortable in Sachi's cramped closet. The other part was that Renji couldn't get his mind to rest. 'Where is Ichigo?' echoed over and over again in his head.

A sudden quiet knock on the closet door startled Renji out of his reverie. "Renji?" Sachi whispered. "Are you still awake?"

Renji reached up and slid the closet door open. Sachi stood above him looking apologetic. "What's up?" he asked quietly.

"Well…" Sachi stepped back to reveal a futon laid out on the floor of her room. "It doesn't look like you're very comfortable sleeping in the closet like that. So I thought maybe you could sleep on the floor," she replied a bit guiltily.

"All right…" Renji stood and stretched. He couldn't help but be surprised again by her kindness. "Thanks," Renji told Sachi, giving her a small smile.

Sachi wouldn't meet his eye. "And I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. It wasn't fair of me. I was just…surprised…" she added, clearly embarrassed.

Renji had to stop himself from laughing. It just seemed so silly for her to be so self-conscious about it. And sweet. "Don't worry about it," he told her lightly. He went over to the futon and sat down on it.

"I've got just one question," Renji began, unable to keep it to himself any longer. Sachi, who had been about to get into bed, turned around and gave him an inquiring look. Renji took a deep breath. "Where's Ichigo?"

Something flashed through Sachi's eyes so quickly that Renji didn't have time to identify it. Her body stiffened and her expression became stony. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice sounding unnaturally disinterested.

Ah. This wasn't good. Renji shifted uncertainly on the futon already beginning to think that asking had been a bad idea. "Well, er, I wanted to have look around so I went out into the hall while your family was having dessert. I saw you and your mom and your brother and, uh-"

"He's in Karakura," Sachi interrupted, her voice like ice.

"Huh?" Renji was surprised and definitely regretting asking her now.

Sachi turned away from him, her body completely tense. She answered him in a voice that was, if it was possible, even colder than before. "He's in Karakura because my parents are divorced. The man you saw is my stepfather and Tarou is my half brother."

Renji wasn't sure how to feel. He couldn't help but get the sense that he was intruding on something that Sachi would have preferred to keep to herself.

"Goodnight Renji," Sachi said, her tone clearly indicating that they were _done_ discussing this. Sachi got into her bed and lay down with her back facing him.

Renji got under the futon covers and lay on his back staring at the ceiling. He felt bad asking about Ichigo now as he had clearly upset Sachi. He almost felt that he was being ungrateful for Sachi's kindness by prying. It was true that he had learned something, but he still had more questions than answers. Renji sighed and closed his eyes. Hopefully Sachi wouldn't be too upset with him tomorrow.

…

The next day Sachi acted like nothing had happened. Renji hadn't been entirely sure what to do. He spent some time considering apologizing for upsetting her, but in the end he had decided that if Sachi wanted to pretend that he had never asked about Ichigo then he should too.

Their day at school was pretty much the same as the day before. Sachi's friends still gave him the evil eye and Ichihara had apparently decided that Renji was his new favorite student to bully. The only good thing about his day was the absence of Hollows.

Renji, however, had big plans for after school. When Sachi got home she found him waiting in her room.

"Are you ready?" he asked purposefully as soon as she had walked in and dropped her bag.

"Ready for what?"

"Training," Renji replied with a grin.

Sachi blinked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yep," Renji replied cheerfully. "I said I would train you didn't I?" Renji was actually looking forward to this. He had found over the years that he enjoyed training other Soul Reapers. There was something immensely satisfying about helping someone with no experience learn and get stronger.

"You're not going to train me in that though are you?" Sachi asked skeptically, motioning to the school uniform he still wore.

"Of course not. I have other clothes. Step outside and I'll change."

Sachi did as she was bid, a bit chagrined. Where had he gotten clothes from? Where had he gotten the school uniform for that matter? Sachi hoped that he hadn't stolen anything. Not that he seemed like the type of guy to do that. Sachi instantly felt bad for thinking like that.

At Renji's call Sachi went back into her room. He had changed into a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. She stared at him for a moment and burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Renji asked, perplexed and kind of annoyed.

"Your…shirt…" Sachi managed to gasp between fits of laughter, pointing to him.

Renji looked down and the words 'Red Pineapple' stared up at him upside down. Renji felt a vein start throbbing in his forehead as he silently cursed Urahara. The damn shopkeeper loved to have a laugh at his expense.

Sachi finally got herself under control though she still wore an enormous grin. "Get out of your body already and lets get started," Renji practically growled at her, now thoroughly annoyed.

Sachi pulled the gikongan pill that she always carried now out of her pocket and swallowed it. There was the strange pulling sensation from her chest again and her soul popped out of her body. Sachi idly wondered if she would ever get used to that sensation.

"Good, now let's get going," Renji said, still gruff. He turned and climbed out the window and started heading up the fire escape with Sachi right behind him.

By the time they reached the roof Sachi was quite winded. She did live on the third floor of a 20-story apartment building after all, so getting to the roof had been quite a climb. She leaned against the railing that surrounded the roof as she tried to catch her breath.

"I'm taking the elevator next time," she wheezed.

Renji, being the Soul Reaper that he was, didn't look fatigued at all. Sachi found herself a bit jealous. "Do you really want other people in the building to see that?" he asked, eyebrows raised skeptically. "Ordinary people can't see Soul Reapers you know. People will think the building is haunted. Just consider it part of your training," he finished with a smirk.

Sachi made a face, but she knew Renji was right. "Alright fine," she admitted reluctantly, rolling her eyes.

"Good, now get your zanpakuto out."

"Yes, sensei," Sachi drawled, unsheathing the massive sword from her back.

It was Renji's turn to roll eyes. "Alright so the basic stance is like this…"

**Author's Note:**

_Surprise! Another chapter! I know I said that there wouldn't be another til like Christmas but…well I wrote this one when I should have been writing papers for school. So yea…it's an early present!_

_So in this one you learned a little but more about Ichigo. More info will be revealed as the story progresses. And Ichigo will end up being a main character in the story, but it's still going to be a while before you see him._

_I hope everyone found the whole' Renji living in Sachi's closet' thing funny because when I imagine it it's totally hilarious. Everything I've seen shows Renji being taller than Ichigo so him being cramped in a little is just funny. Ah poor Renji. I've been so mean to him the last couple of chapters. I guess it's because I like him so much _

_I've wanted to use more Japanese in my stories recently and since I used it last chapter I figured I'd just roll with it. I won't be using it a whole lot but you will see some of it. Nee-san (I think the 'ee' is right as opposed to 'e', but I'm not sure. If I'm wrong please let me know so I can correct it) is used to address an older sister._

_So this time I had 5 reviews! It seems like the farther along this story gets the more people are finding it and it really makes me SO happy that more people are reading this story and enjoying it. It's probably because (if I'm being perfectly honest) this story is a bit of a pet project._

_Anyways a HUGE thanks to xXxNekoxChanxXx, Luafua, bored411, metsfan101, and Red6. THANK YOU!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 6: Unexpected Truth **

It had been a week and a half since Renji had arrived in the real world and on the whole things had been going ok. The human school was not particularly exciting and Sachi's friends still treated him like a pariah, but Ichihara had stopped picking on him in class. There hadn't been too many Hollows either and after that first day Sachi had shown no reluctance in taking care of them.

As for her training, Sachi had taken to it like a fish takes to water. Renji found the speed of her progress truly startling. Renji had questioned her about it and while Sachi had said that she took karate lessons when she was younger that did not explain why she now handled her zanpakuto like she had been doing it for years. Apparently she had inherited Ichigo's natural fighting ability.

Sachi glanced up at Renji as they walked down the crowded city streets. The corners of his mouth were pulled down in a slight frown and his brow was furrowed, making him look very serious. Sachi recognized this as his 'thinking' face and she had noticed that Renji tended to think a lot whenever they were walking to or from school (they had started to walk together after Renji's third day in the real world when he got lost trying to find his way back to her house after school).

Sachi wasn't sure why, but it always made her slightly worried when Renji seemed to be thinking a lot. It certainly didn't fit his personality because he tended to be laid back, but Sachi also had the sneaking suspicion that most of the time what he was thinking about had to do with her and that made her uncomfortable.

"Hey…are you ok?"

Renji started at the sound of Sachi's voice. "Yea I'm fine," he told her, forcing a big grin on his face. He could tell by Sachi's expression that she didn't believe him. To be honest he was worried. Surely Soul Society would notice her growing strength and his lack of work at some point. And when they did he didn't know what would happen.

"Oh look!" Renji veered away, going over to examine a display set outside a shop. Sachi followed, a bit exasperated.

"Sunglasses?" she asked, her voice skeptical.

"Yea…" Renji said, picking up a pair and examining them. "I love sunglasses." He looked back up at Sachi to see her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. His grin faltered a bit. She clearly wasn't pleased.

She examined him for a long moment before reaching out and plucking a pair that had square lenses and very thick frames that were offensive shade of bright green. Sachi held them out to him.

"You're joking right?" Sachi merely brandished them in his face again. Renji sighed and took them.

Renji turned away from her to put the sunglasses on and when he turned to show her Sachi slapped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. It didn't work, however, and soon she was bent over, her hands on her knees, from laughing so hard.

Renji tried to act irritable as he took the sunglasses off, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning. They had looked ridiculous. Renji selected a pair for Sachi to try on and held them out to her.

Sachi, who had recovered from her laughing attack, saw the sunglasses that Renji was holding out to her and immediately shook her head. "No way. Those are going to make me look like an alien!"

Renji brandished the sunglasses with ridiculously sized lenses at her as she had done to him, an expectant look on his face. With a sigh Sachi took them from him and put them on. Renji immediately began to laugh. Sachi rolled her eyes and looked in the mirror. She couldn't help herself and began to giggle too, because they really did look silly.

They stood outside the little shop trying on sunglasses and laughing for nearly half and hour. It was probably the most mundane thing that Renji had done since he had arrived in the real world and it was also the most fun he'd had. He really was starting to enjoy the time he spent with Sachi.

Eventually, however, Renji put the last pair of sunglasses away and didn't grab another. "Come on," he said to Sachi, turning away from the display. "We need to get started on your training."

"Ok!" Sachi put her sunglasses away too and made to follow him. She was a bit sad though. That had been so much fun.

They both had to stop, however, as a little old lady suddenly bustled out of the shop door carrying an enormous bouquet of flowers. "Excuse me!" she said, her tone making it clear that she wasn't sorry at all for nearly running them over.

Renji snorted in irritation and began to walk, but Sachi stayed put. There was something important that she was trying to remember. Something about flowers…

"Oh no!" How could she have forgotten?

When Renji felt Sachi's hand close on his own his heart gave a little jump. Then he suddenly realized that she was pulling him back the way they had come.

"Sachi! Your house is that way!" Renji protested as she all but dragged him along the sidewalk.

"I know!" she shouted back over her shoulder, her voice somewhat rushed. "But there's something I have to do first!" Bewildered, Renji allowed her to pull into an area of the city he didn't know.

…

"Hello? Helloooooo?" Renji watched Sachi down at the end of the alleyway as she turned left and right like she was looking for something.

Finally she stopped and stared, downcast, at something on the ground. "What're doing?" Renji asked her, joining her at the end of the alleyway.

"There was a ghost here. I meant to come and visit him, but with everything that's happened I completely forgot…" Sachi replied, sounding completely miserable. She was staring at the wilted flowers that she had brought last time she was here lying in the alleyway. Sachi felt horrible. How could she have forgotten? That poor ghost.

Renji felt like he should say something. Something comforting. But what? He wasn't good at this sort of thing. Feeling awkward, he reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but he withdrew it as a new voice echoed down the alleyway.

"Oh! I-I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was someone there." Sachi and Renji both jumped and turned to see a pretty young woman standing at the end of the alleyway, a large bouquet in her arms. "I didn't mean to interrupt or anything. I'll just…I'll just um…" The woman was clearly flustered and she turned away to leave.

"Wait!" Sachi called out to her. "You wouldn't be Keiko would you?"

"Y-yes…But how did you-"

"And those flowers are for Omasu aren't they?"

The woman, Keiko Renji corrected, nodded mutely apparently too stunned for words.

Sachi smiled warmly at Keiko. "It must come as a surprise that I know. It's because Omasu told me all about you."

"H-he did?" There was a sad, but tentative smile on Keiko's face. She cautiously walked down the alley towards them and laid the fresh bouquet next to several old ones. "You knew him then?"

"Well…not exactly. I can see ghosts actually. I used to come and visit him."

Keiko blinked at Sachi in surprise. "You can? You did?"

Sachi nodded enthusiastically.

"Perhaps you can help me then." Keiko looked up at Sachi earnestly, her hands clasped together over her heart. "Whenever I came to bring flowers before I always felt like Omasu's presence was here. I felt happy knowing that he was still around and that he was with me. But the past few days I haven't felt him at all. Do you know where he is?" Keiko's last question had taken on a pleading edge.

Sachi was taken aback. She had felt his presence? But Sachi had no idea where he had gone. Still, she had to say something to assuage the look of distress on Keiko's face. With the most confident smile that she could manage Sachi answered, "I'm afraid he's gone." Keiko's face fell and her eyes filled with tears. Sach added hurriedly, "But he probably passed on. Right Renji?"

Renji grunt as Sachi's heel dug into his toes. He turned away from a large bloodstain on the ground that he had been examining. He was pretty sure that only he and Sachi could see it, but she didn't seem to have noticed it. "Yea…" Renji had bad feeling about this.

Keiko started to cry. "I'm so glad. Thank you so much." To Sachi's great surprise Keiko threw her arms around her in a quick hug before running back down the alleyway. At the end Keiko turned and bowed deeply to them before she ran out of sight.

"What was that about?" Renji asked turning to Sachi.

"Like I told you there was a ghost here that I used to come and visit. That was his girlfriend Keiko. I think that main reason that he hadn't passed on was because she was always coming to visit him." Sachi crouched down and placed her hands together, offering a quick prayer for Omasu. She stood up again and offered Renji a smile. "But, I guess he's gone now. We should get going".

Renji followed Sachi out of the alleyway without responding, throwing one more glance at the dark bloodstain. Oh yes, he definitely had a bad feeling about this.

…

Sachi was awakened much earlier than she would have liked on a Saturday morning by the sound of Renji's soul pager beeping. Groggily she pulled her covers over her head in an attempt to ignore it. Soon, however, Renji was shaking her shoulder and hissing at her to wake up.

Sachi opened her eyes and blinked blearily up at him. "Do I have to?" she mumbled.

Renji scowled down at her. "Of course you do! There's a Hollow. Now get up already!"

Sachi rolled out of bed and soon she, in her spiritual form, and Renji were running through the predawn streets. Renji led Sachi with the soul pager and before long they arrived at the entrance to the alleyway that Sachi recognized as the place where Omasu had died. She didn't have time to dwell on this, however, as there was a Hollow down at the end of the alley menacing the ghost of a young women.

Sachi charged down the alley drawing her sword as she did so. Her first goal was to distract the Hollow and she did so by plunging her sword into its tale. As the Hollow screamed and thrashed Sachi leaned around its monstrous form and yelled at the ghost to run.

The woman turned her terrified eyes to Sachi, but listened. She ducked under the Hollow's swinging claws and ran past Sachi and down the alley to safety. Now Sachi could deal with the Hollow. She pulled her sword out of its tail and backed away.

"Don't waste time!" she heard Renji shouting at her. "Kill it now when it can't attack you!"

Sachi gritted her teeth. She didn't like Renji yelling at her what she should do anymore. She could handle Hollows just fine without his instructions thank you very much. But it looked like she should have listened this time as the Hollow had managed to turn itself around.

It roared and brought a hand down in an attempt to crush her, but Sachi darted back just in time. She brought her sword up and attacked, this time with the intention to end it. Unfortunately the alley was quite narrow and with her sword being so large Sachi didn't have the room to swing it freely. Instead there was a horrible screeching sound as the blade cut across the brick walls.

Sachi's zanpakuto bit into the Hollow's mask, but not deep enough to cleanly slice its head in two. The Hollow, screaming in rage and pain, wrenched itself away from Sachi and disappeared from whence it had come, its hands clasped over its mask.

Renji, at the end of the alleyway, let out an frustrated sigh. If only she hadn't hesitated! Well they would almost certainly see the Hollow again. He looked around. The ghost of the woman they had saved was gone.

"Let's get going Sachi," he called to her. "We need to find that ghost and perform the konso." She didn't appear to have heard him and stood stock still in the alley. "Sachi!" he called again, this time impatience in his voice.

"Renji…" Sachi said so quietly that he had hardly heard her.

"What?"

"Why? Why was…?" As Sachi spoke her voice got louder and the quaver in it became more pronounced. "Why was Omasu's face under that Hollow's mask?" Sachi was yelling now. She turned and Renji was surprised to see fear, anger, and accusation on Sachi's face.

Renji ran a hand over his hair and sighed. They didn't have time to deal with this now, but he had a feeling Sachi wouldn't cooperate until he explained.

"All Hollows were once normal human souls," Renji began.

Sachi blanched. "W-what? But I thought they were monsters! You've been making me kill— !"

"They are monsters!" Renji said with such ferocity that Sachi was taken aback. "They were human souls but they have fallen and lost their hearts. Nothing is left but the desire to eat other souls in order to ease their pain."

Sachi was stunned. She'd had no idea… "B-but why? Why do they fall and become Hollow's?"

Renji visibly slumped. "Because a soul reaper has failed to send them to Soul Society. They either fall into such a deep despair that they transform into Hollows themselves or they are attacked by other Hollows and transform. In Omasu's case it was probably the latter," Renji finished, thinking of the bloodstain he had seen yesterday.

"But…But…" Sachi was still struggling to comprehend. The Hollows were monsters, but they had once been human. How could she possibly continue as a Soul Reaper knowing this?

Renji's soul pager suddenly began to beep again and he swore under his breath as he pulled it out of his pocket. "I'm afraid we don't have anymore time to discuss this," he said looking up at Sachi. "He's probably going after that woman from yesterday."

"Keiko?" Sachi gasped. "Why?"

"Because the people that Hollows kill first are the ones they loved most in life." Renji's eyes were hard. There was no way to soften these truths and it was important that Sachi understood them. "Come on," Renji added in a commanding tone.

Renji ran out of the alley and Sachi, still in horrified shock, could think of nothing else to do but follow him.

…

Just as Renji passed a sign that read 'Nagasaki University' he heard screams. Muttering curses under his breath he sped up. Sachi, behind him, felt her stomach drop as she ran by the sign. It looked like Renji was right. She remembered Omasu telling her that Keiko was a student here.

Sachi ran around a corner and nearly collided with Renji who had stopped. In front of them, in an open plaza, was pandemonium. Terrified people ran everywhere and a cloud of dust stood in the middle of the plaza over an area that had been destroyed, the paving stones cracked and uneven. In the middle of the debris the same Hollow they had just fought leaned over a terrified and screaming Keiko.

Sachi heard the Hollow roaring and for the first time she could make out words among the howls. "Keiko! Why are you screaming at me Keiko? Why are you afraid of me?"

"What are you waiting for?" Renji yelled.

"What am I supposed to do?" Sachi yelled back.

"Kill it!"

"But it's human! It's Omasu!"

Renji looked like he was ready to tear his hair out in frustration. "If you don't kill him he's going to eat her!"

Sachi turned back to the scene in front of her. Biting her lip and fighting the sudden need to cry Sachi realized Renji was right. The Hollow reached forward to grab Keiko, but she slapped his hand away and scrambled to her feet in an attempt to run. The Hollow roared, enraged, and lunged.

All he met, however, was Sachi's zanpakuto. The Hollow pulled back, eyes narrowed, and roared. Sachi raised her sword again as a single tear slid down her cheek. "I'm sorry," she murmured and then sliced the Hollow's head in two.

Relief flooded through Renji. They had made it in time. He sighed again, as Sachi made no move to leave. He should have expected that she would get upset when she learned what Hollows really were. As Renji had come to realize Sachi was very compassionate. It didn't help that she had known the ghost that had become this Hollow.

"I'm sorry." At the sound of Renji's soft apology Sachi jumped and hastily wiped her eyes. She turned to face him her expression guilt-ridden. "I didn't mean to hide the truth. I thought that you might have already known actually."

Sachi shook her head. "My dad never mentioned this…" Sachi bit her lip and Renji immediately became alarmed that she was going to start crying again.

"Listen," Renji began quickly. "When you split a Hollow's head in two you're not actually killing it. You're exorcizing it." Sachi looked up at him her expression puzzled now. "What I mean is that the zanpakuto cleanses the Hollow's soul and allows it to enter Soul Society."

"So…I'm not really killing them I'm actually helping them?" Sachi asked, her voice hesitant with hope.

Renji nodded. Sachi sniffled as if she might cry again, and then broke out into an enormous smile. An odd feeling passed through Renji as he relaxed and smiled back. He was glad that Sachi was smiling again. And it pleased him to think that it was because of him. Trying to push these feelings to the back of his mind Renji turned away.

"Where are you going?" Sachi almost sounded disappointed.

"To modify some memories," Renji answered over his shoulder. "It shouldn't take long."

Sachi watched Renji walk away a bit bemused. Then she lifted up her zanpakuto to examine it. It really was an amazing sword, she mused. Able to help human souls pass on and cleanse the sins of those who had fallen. That's when she noticed the guard. Had it changed? Turning the sword to scrutinize it further Sachi saw that it had. The lightening shaped patterns on either side of the hilt had shifted, becoming crooked. It looked kind of like the ends were moving to line up. Sachi frowned. What did this mean?

"Hey! Let's get going!"

Sachi jumped at Renji's shout. Sheathing her sword and promising herself that she would consider this more closely later she ran to join him.

**Author's Note:**

_Here's Chapter 6! Sorry it took me so long to get it out, but I've actually been a bit busier than I was expecting. And I decided I would reread the Harry Potter books over break and they're rather more enthralling than I expected._

_Ha! I bet you thought that ghost from the first chapter was totally random. Actually he was. I decided to use that for this chapter because it worked not because I planned it in advance. To be perfectly honest I'm not actually that fond of this chapter. I couldn't even think of a good title for it. But, I thought it was important that Sachi and Renji cover what Hollows are so I added it. They had a chance to bond too and they will continue to grow closer as the story goes. I also mentioned the guard of Sachi's zanpkauto again and that will become more important too._

_I have no idea what Nagasaki University looks like so I apologize for inaccuracies._

_Well this time around I only got 4 reviews . But it's ok because I've now got this awesome group of repeat reviewers: bored411, Luafua, Red6, and NekoPockyBoxz! THANK YOU!_

_I should have at least one more chapter out before the end of winter break. Have a Happy New Year! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_Expletive Warning: the f-bomb gets dropped a couple times in this chapter._

**Chapter 7: Friends**

It had been week and it was Saturday again. Renji's extended training sessions on the weekends were exhausting, but Sachi would readily admit that she was learning a lot. Currently she was sitting against the wall of the roof taking a break. As she did so she examined the guard of her zanpakuto.

This had become a daily ritual for her after Sachi had noticed the guard had changed. And after examining it everyday she had to conclude that it was changing gradually. The points of the lighting shapes had started to line up and she now thought that the guard was beginning to resemble the mouth of some kind of vicious creature. Sachi had no idea what this could mean. She had brought it up to Renji but he didn't know either. So Sachi continued to examine the changes to the sword's guard everyday in the hopes that she would have an epiphany.

"Alright breaks over," Renji announced from the opposite side of the roof where he had been messing with his soul pager. "Let's get started again."

Sachi stood and sheathed her zanpakuto earning a frown from Renji. "You forgot didn't you," Sachi told him with a sigh.

"Forgot what?"

"We're stopping early today. I've got plans with my friends remember?"

Renji thought for a moment. He did remember vaguely, now that he thought about it, that Sachi had mentioned something to him about this a few days ago. Unconsciously he raised a hand and started scratching the back of his head. He didn't like losing training time, but Sachi's progress lately had been as good as always. And if he had already agreed…

He looked back to Sachi who was watching him a bit apprehensively. "Alright," he sighed. "I guess we can just pick up here again tomorrow."

"Yay! Thank you!" Sachi exclaimed. She rushed back to the fire escape. "Now I just need to change and get ready." Renji followed her amused.

They got back to Sachi's room and she jumped back into her body. She then bustled out to her bathroom to change and Renji sat down at her desk. She came back in a few minutes later and began throwing things into a purse.

"Are you going to be ok staying in here by yourself?" Sachi asked Renji, after her fussing with her hair one more time in the mirror.

Renji snorted. "I'll be fine."

"Alright," Sachi said turning towards the door. She felt bad leaving him here alone like this, but she hadn't been able to convince her friends that it would be a good idea to bring him along. "Just be quiet and make sure my family doesn't notice you're here."

Renji rolled his eyes. "Just get going already. You're going to be late." Sachi gave him a quick smile, opened the door, and was gone.

Renji sighed as he leaned back in the desk chair. He would be just fine this evening. He didn't really care one way or the other about Sachi's friend's opinions of him. Besides she deserved to have a normal human life and do normal human things. At least as much as she good while being a substitute Soul Reaper.

No, Renji would be just fine. Though the room did seem a bit dimmer without Sachi in it.

…

Sachi stood on a street corner with Mao and Yuzuki. They were waiting for Akio and Kenta to show, but Sachi wasn't surprised they were late. Akio and Kenta usually went to the arcade on Saturdays and since Akio was a bad loser they were almost always late because Akio wouldn't let Kenta leave until he beat him at something.

Not that Sachi minded them being late. It was nice for her to be able to hang around and chat with just Mao and Yuzuki.

"Hey," Mao hissed suddenly. "Those guys have been staring at us for a while. It's creeping met out!" she whispered.

Yuzuki and Sachi turned and looked up the street in the direction Mao had indicated. Three guys stood around the entrance to a bar smoking cigarettes. And all three were indeed leering nastily at them. By looking at their clothes Sachi decided that they probably belonged to one of the local gangs.

One of the men took a final drag on his cigarette and flicked it on the ground, the other two quickly following suit. Then they began to casually stroll up the street towards them.

Mao whimpered and Yuzuki 'hmphed' irritably. "Come on," Sachi said, grabbing both their arms and pulling them up the street.

"What, we're going to run from those thugs?" Yuzuki asked like Sachi had offended her.

"No," Sachi replied glancing over her shoulder and seeing that the three men were following them. "We're going to take a walk around the block and lose them."

But their walk quickly turned into a trek. The men were persistent and followed them no matter how thick the crowds on the sidewalks were. Mao was becoming more and more nervous the longer they walked and even Yuzuki had lost her bravado by the time they entered a more rundown part of town.

Sachi, now just as worried as her friends, pulled them into an empty dead-end street as her anxiety got the better of her. The three men were quick to corner them as they tried to turn around.

"Where you girls going?" one asked.

"Yea, we just want to…chat," the second one said, laughing.

"Oh, hey look," the last one said casually as he hung back towards the entrance to the street. From his smugly superior air Sachi was sure that he was the leader. "Everyone else is here." His statement was answered by laughter and greetings as several more men began to filter into the street.

Sachi pulled Mao and Yuzuki down to the end of the street and the men, at least 10 in all, began to advance on them. The men catcalled to them as they came and raked their eyes over them in a way that made Sachi feel disgusting. Beside her Mao was close to tears and Yuzuki had begun to tremble. Sachi couldn't just let this happen, so she stepped in front of her friends and spread her arms protectively.

"Look! We've got a volunteer!" one of the men yelled, followed by whistles and jeers.

"Don't come near us!" Sachi yelled back as defiantly as she could. The men just laughed.

"Come on, don't be that way honey," the guy closest to them said in a manner that he probably thought was seductive. It was all Sachi could do not to recoil in disgust as he began to advance towards them. She reached into her pocket, searching for her gikongan. She would easily be able to deal with these thugs if she was a Soul Reaper. Sachi became frantic when she didn't find it. How could she have forgotten it?

"Geez. And everyone keeps calling me a thug."

His voice rang loud, clear, and commanding down the street and everyone turned their stares to him. Sachi's heart jumped with hope. "Renji?" she heard Yuzuki gasp behind her.

Renji stood coolly at the entrance to the street, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He considered the scene before him with contempt. "Who the hell are you?" one of the men shouted.

"It's not really important who I am," Renji replied casually. "Just know that I'm not about to let a bunch of scum like you guys jump innocent girls."

"You've sure got a big mouth." The leader said scornfully. "I guess we'll just have to teach you a lesson so you won't mess with us again. What gang are you with anyways? You can take the message back to your leader about not interferin' with us."

A vein in Renji's forehead popped. Why did all these stupid human punks keep thinking that he was some kind of thug? "You're gonna teach me a lesson huh?" Renji growled. He pulled his hands out his pockets and began to crack his knuckles. He hadn't had a good fight since he had come to the real world and something like this would be the perfect way to work out his frustrations. "Bring it on!"

The leader looked pissed too. "Alright boys. He's askin' for it." With a yell several of the guys jumped towards Renji and pandemonium broke loose. For Renji it really was too easy as he ducked and punched. Humans were just slow.

Down at the end of the street two of the guys turned back towards Sachi and her friends, undoubtedly in an attempt to grab them in the chaos. They never got the chance, however, as Sachi's fist collided with one and her foot with the other. "Stay here!" Sachi shouted at Mao and Yuzuki and she jumped into the fray.

It had been a long time since Sachi had done any serious hand-to-hand fighting, but it was easy enough with most of the guys being so distracted by Renji. She punched and kicked her way through the crowd until one of the guys pushed her into an open area in the middle of the street.

"Renji!" Renji turned at the sound of his name to see Sachi stumbling towards him, her face contorted in concentration. Suddenly a look of horror crossed it and she shouted "Duck!". Renji did as he was bid, hearing the whistle of a knife passing over his head.

Sachi stopped fighting her momentum and charged forward. She planted her hands on Renji's shoulders and using them as a platform, as he was still crouched down, she swung her leg up and out and delivered a kick to the guy who had just swiped at him with a knife. Not wanting to waste an opportunity Renji ducked out from underneath Sachi and knocked out the guy who had chased after her. They both fell back until they collided and stood back-to-back panting.

"You all right?" Renji asked Sachi over his shoulder.

"Yea, I'm fine," Sachi replied. "Let's just finish this."

They were surrounded in a loose circle with just five guys now and the leader. "What the fuck are you pussies waiting for?" the leader screamed, enraged. "Fuckin' kill them already!" In response the other men began to pull knives, short clubs, and even a pair of brass knuckles from pockets and the insides their jackets.

Sachi tensed. This was about to get a lot more dangerous.

"You ready?" Renji asked her quietly.

"Yea."

"On three. One…two…now!"

Sachi and Renji both ran forward. It was over quickly after that, in flurry of punches and kicks and flying weapons. Sachi knocked her last guy out and looked to her friends in triumph to see the leader charging towards them, a large knife in his hand. Sachi moved before she thought, chasing after the leader. She caught up to him, seized the back of his shirt, and pulled hard. He stumbled backwards and lashed out with the knife. Sachi let out a short scream as the steel bit into her arm and she fell backwards, landing hard.

The leader turned on her and raised the knife, his face contorted in his frenzy. "I'm gonna kill you, you bitch!"

Renji, who had seen Sachi chase the man and then fall, felt an unfamiliar fury course through his body. While he would never deny enjoying a good fight once in a while, he was not a violent man by nature and his first instinct had never been to kill or maim unless there was a very good reason to do so. Something inside him had snapped, however, when he saw Sachi's blood being flung from the tip of the man's knife and he was overcome by the irrational urge to tear the man limb from limb.

Now the man stood over Sachi, the knife rising as he prepared to inflict another injury, her friends screaming behind them. _Like hell_ Renji was going to let that happen. The bastard was so focused on Sachi that he didn't notice Renji until he was practically on top of him. Renji pulled back his fist and punched the man as hard as he could. He felt rather satisfied as bone cracked beneath his knuckles.

The man flopped to the ground like a dead fish. Renji stood frozen for a moment, panting, as the strange rage subsided. Then he turned towards Sachi and offered her a hand up. "You ok?"

"I'll live" Sachi replied, accepting his help. Her smile wasn't as bright as usual, however. Renji quickly noticed her left hand wrapped around her right forearm. Blood dripped between her fingers.

"Shit, you're bleeding."

"It's not that bad. Really!" Sachi added as Renji gave her a skeptical look.

"Sachi!" Mao and Yuzuki came running up and Yuzuki threw her arms around Renji's neck, effectively startling him into stillness.

"You did it!" Yuzuki squealed, letting Renji go. "You're so amazing!"

"Sachi, you're bleeding!" Mao's relief had turned to worry bordering on panic.

"It's really not that bad…" Sachi said soothingly, but Mao had already begun to root around in her bag, as Yuzuki let go of Renji and began to flutter fretfully around Mao, asking if she could help.

"Oh where is it…" she moaned. Then suddenly she pulled a white handkerchief out with a cry of triumph. She dropped her bag and grabbed Sachi's arm, and began to awkwardly try and tie the handkerchief around the cut.

"Here, I can do it." Renji offered, holding out his hand. Mao stared at him wide-eyed for a moment and then handed the handkerchief to him. She still look frightened of him, Renji observed, but she hadn't flinched when he'd taken the handkerchief.

Sachi allowed Renji to examine the wound. It wasn't very deep but it was quite long. Not for the first time, and almost certainly not the last, Renji wished he were better at kido. If he were halfway decent healing the cut would have been a piece of cake. With his skill level, however, he would probably blow them both up if he tried.

With a sigh he did what he knew he could to make due. Quickly, and with the ease of practice, Renji tore the handkerchief into three strips and tied them deftly around her wound. "That should hold for now," he told her as he finished.

"Thanks," she replied, giving him a real smile this time.

That was when they heard to male voices calling them. "Akio!" Mao exclaimed excitedly and dashed out of the street.

"That's Kenta too," Yuzuki added, and she followed Mao at a more sedate pace, clearly trying to regain some of her 'cool' attitude.

Renji turned back to Sachi to see her watching him her hands on her hips. "So you followed me," she said, her tone cool.

Renji had had a feeling that Sachi wouldn't be too happy with him if she found out, but at this point he didn't really care. "Well, yea. What would have happened if a Hollow had shown up?" Renji then pulled her forgotten gikongan from his pocket and held it up.

Sachi looked sheepish as she took it back from him. "Fair enough," she mumbled, putting the gikongan safely in her pocket. She looked up at him again. "I don't really like that you followed me, but I'm glad that you did. You saved us. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't been here. Thank you," she finished, sincerely.

"It's no big deal," Renji replied, a bit embarrassed. He noticed the fondness in Sachi's gaze as she look towards where her friends had gone.

"You really care about them, huh?" he asked her, thinking of how she had gone after the leader without a second thought about her own safety.

"Of course," Sachi answered, affectionately. "They mean everything to me."

"You're dad's like that too…" Renji said softly, suddenly lost in the past. He was brought back by a snort from Sachi. He looked at her confused to see her shoot him an expression of incredulity. Renji raised an eyebrow at her questioningly, but before he could ask her anything her friends turned back into the street.

"Wow, you're weren't kidding. There really were a bunch of guys," Kenta commented, looking over at the men lying prone on the ground behind Sachi and Renji.

"I told you," Yuzuki replied, petulance in her tone.

Akio, his arm around Mao's shoulders, surveyed the scene and walked up until he was in front of Renji. Renji was entirely unsure what to make of this, as Akio had always been the one that was most opposed to his presence. Mao gave Renji an encouraging look.

Akio turned his cold gaze on Renji. "Did you knock all those guys out?"

"I didn't do it by myself," Renji answered, reaching his hand up to scratch the back of his head. "Sachi took a bunch of them out too."

Akio considered him silently for a long moment and Renji had to squash the urge to fidget. Abruptly Akio shoved his hand forward and holding it out to Renji. "You're alright Abarai," he said solemnly.

"Er…thanks," Renji replied, grasping Akio's hand.

They firmly shook hands once and then Akio turned away. "Let's go."

The mood seemed to instantly lift. Kenta slapped Renji's back in a comradely sort of way as he passed and Yuzuki latched enthusiastically onto his arm and dragged him along behind the other three.

"What just happened?" Renji asked Sachi turning around as far as he could. He looked utterly mystified.

Sachi simply grinned at him. She was extremely pleased that her friends had finally accepted Renji.

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 7! So this chapter was actually supposed to be the first half of one chapter and the next chapter would have been the second half, but this one ended up being a lot longer than expected so I just decided to break them into two. However, since they were originally supposed to be one, the second chapter 8 is almost finished and will be posted soon. Like really soon. Like it's done and all I have to do is edit it._

_While this chapter is not hugely important in my overarching storyline, Renji being friends with Sachi's friends is necessary because he needs to be able to interact with them in later chapters. I'm pleased with how this one turned out though. The next chapter will be more important._

_Also I'm taking a semester off of grad school to do this other training program (which will hopefully get me a job). This means that I pretty much have an extra month to write before I have to do school stuff so my updates should be pretty regular until the end of February._

_FOUR MORE REVIEWS! An enormous thanks to my wonderful reviewers Red6, Black Cat Angel, Luafua, and bored411!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 8: The Snake**

That night Sachi awoke with a yelp as an extremely loud sound exploded overhead. She sat up in bed confused for a moment until the sound came again, making her jump, and she realized it was thunder.

"You're not scared of thunderstorms are you?" Renji's voice was thick with sleep, but Sachi recognized the teasing tone.

"No, it just surprised me is all," Sachi replied sulkily. She got out of bed and crept over to her window. Pulling back the curtain she revealed a tremendous downpour, the rain hiding the fire escape that stood right outside.

Renji whistled softly. He was extremely glad he wasn't outside tonight. That was when his soul pager began to beep. Renji groaned as he reached for it and Sachi dramatically collapsed to her knees with a pitiful cry of "No!"

"It's a joke….Please tell me it's a joke," Sachi moaned by the window.

"I'm afraid not," Renji told her, just as unhappy. Thunder boomed overhead again. Renji rose and dressed quickly, pulling jeans on over his pajama pants. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Sachi stood as Renji came over by the window. Grumbling under her breath she grabbed the gikongan and left her human body. She then wrenched the window open a bit harder than was strictly necessary and they both drew back as the wind brought rain inside. Lighting flashed and more thunder rumbled through the sky.

"I hate you right now," Sachi muttered as their feet got soaked by the rain washing in through the window.

"I hate myself too," Renji grumbled in return. With a sigh he stepped forward to go out the window first.

…

In no time at all they were both soaked. Sachi couldn't ever remember being this wet except when she was in a swimming pool. She would never have agreed to this substitute Soul Reaper thing if she'd known she'd have to go out in the middle of the night during the biggest thunderstorm of the year. Renji was just as miserable. It was just their luck that a Hollow would show up now. He was pretty sure that his soul pager was probably ruined too.

Soon they arrived at a plaza in one of the older shopping districts. It wasn't particularly large but it was lined with many one and two-story shops. It was difficult to see through the pouring rain, but Renji saw the shapes of what looked like trees looming out of the darkness. He put his soul pager back into is pocket. Now all they could do was wait.

The howl of the Hollow echoed around them and Sachi's hand went to the hilt of her zanapakuto. The nearest tree-like shape moved, a clawed hand shooting out of the darkness. Sachi and Renji both leapt out of the way, skidding on the rain slicked concrete. Once Renji had regained his footing he looked around wildly, searching for Sachi through the deluge. He could just make the shapes of her and the Hollow exchanging blows as lightening streaked the sky.

Sachi had to admit that this Hollow was tough. It swiped at her with its claws, the speed of its attacks keeping her from getting near enough to cut at it. It was difficult to see through the rain as well and her footing was slippery. Lightening flashed overhead and Sachi was momentarily blinded. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision she saw the Hollow looming above her, its claws raised.

The Hollow brought its claws down and Sachi brought her zanpakuto up. Sachi nearly collapsed with the weight of the Hollow's attack. It was definitely stronger than the other Hollows she had fought so far. Sachi strained against the Hollow, but they were deadlocked. Sachi shifted, trying to find a way to throw the Hollow off, and pain shot through her arm from the cut she had gotten earlier that day.

The pain was too much and Sachi couldn't hold the Hollow off anymore. She ducked and rolled forward, intending to get under its claws and away to regroup, but she wasn't quick enough and white-hot pain exploded from her back. Sachi's controlled roll turned into a tumble and came to a stop several feet away on her stomach, her zanpakuto skidding away from her. She lay, unable to move, as her back burned with pain and the Hollow advanced on her.

Renji heard Sachi's scream echo around him and panic rose up in his throat. He ran towards them trying to get a better view. Renji was horrified when he saw Sachi lying prone on the ground, her zanpakuto several feet away, and the Hollow looming over her. "Sachi!" he screamed, desperate to do something and fully aware that he was just as helpless as she was.

Lightening flashed and thunder rumbled as Sachi became very much aware that her death was upon her. Unable to draw her terrified eyes away, the Hollow raised its claws for one final swipe. Suddenly something bright white and shining went crashing through the center of the Hollow's mask, cracking it straight down the middle. As the Hollow dissolved with a final wail Sachi saw that the thing that had pierced its mask was vaguely sword shaped before it too dispersed.

"I figured I'd run into the two of you eventually." The suave voice seemed to echo around them, but Sachi caught the slight artificiality in its tone as she pulled herself to her feet. The voice was followed by a figure that slowly materialized out of the rain.

"Hebi-sensei?" Sachi gasped. It was undeniably Ichihara who appeared before them casually holding a black umbrella and wearing his ever-present, unnerving smile.

"What are you doing here?" Renji asked, just as surprised as Sachi.

"Now, is that any way to talk to your sensei Abarai?" Ichihara chided, the dismay in his tone mocking. "Especially when I just saved Kurosaki's life?" His smile widened imperceptibly.

"That was you?" Sachi asked faintly as her mind reeled.

"Yea," he replied simply.

They all stood there staring at each other for a moment until Sachi suddenly swayed and began to fall. "Sachi!" Renji cried, alarmed, as he grabbed her around the waist to stop her from collapsing.

"I'm ok…" she mumbled and it was clear that she was close to losing consciousness.

"Sachi? Stay with me Sachi!"

"My she doesn't look too good does she?" Ichihara observed. "I guess it's not that surprising though considering how much blood she's lost."

Renji looked down and saw that Sachi was standing in a rapidly growing pool of blood that was undoubtedly her own. "Shit!" Renji picked her up and carried her over to one of the shops so that they were under its awning and out the rain. Ichihara followed.

As Renji lay Sachi down on her stomach he saw the problem. There were three long rips in the back of her shihakusho. Renji tore the back of the garment open and grimaced. Three long lacerations had been made in Sachi's back by the Hollow's claws. While her zanpakuto's sheath had prevented them from being fatal, they were still serious injuries and were bleeding freely.

This was very bad, Renji thought rapidly. She had already lost a lot of blood and Renji doubted she would survive if he took her home, put her back in her body, and then brought her to a human a hospital. It would take too much time. The only real option left was kido and for the second time that day Renji wished vehemently that he were more skilled at it.

"Those wounds look pretty serious. She's probably going to die if she doesn't get treatment soon," Ichihara commented carelessly.

"I know that!" Renji snapped, rounding on him. Ichihara responded by holding up his hand in a placating gesture and shrugging.

"What're you going to do then?"

Renji turned back to Sachi, his jaw clenched. As much as Ichihara was pissing him off his comment had solidified Renji's course of action. Kido really was his only option. He just prayed that he wouldn't kill them all in the process.

"I'm ok Renji," he heard Sachi murmur. "Stop worrying so much…"

"I know," Renji replied softly, laying a comforting hand on the back of her head. "Just be quiet for a bit and stay very still."

"The same goes for you," Renji said turning to Ichihara and pining him with a piercing glare. "I'm going to need to concentrate completely on what I'm about to do so don't distract me." Ichihara didn't reply and kept on smiling.

Renji turned back to Sachi and closed his eyes, trying to find some kind of inner calm. He could do this. He _had_ to do this. He opened his eyes and reached out his hands, leaving them hovering barely an inch over Sachi's wounds. Taking a deep breath he began to whisper the incantation for the simplest healing kido spell and the only one he knew.

Once the incantation was finished a warm green glow encased Renji's hands and Sachi's wounds. For a few minutes nothing seemed to be happening. Renji was starting to get frustrated when he noticed that the lacerations were beginning to heal, the sides of the wounds slowly knitting themselves together. Relief and excitement surged through him and his spiritual pressure wavered. Renji quickly ended the spell before anything exploded.

Renji examined Sachi's wounds again. They were nowhere near completely healed, but they now looked several days old and were well scabbed over and healing nicely.

"Well, they do look…better," Ichihara said thoughtfully.

"It's the best that _I _can do," Renji growled at him.

Ichihara shrugged in response. "I should be going then. I suppose I'll see you both on Monday." Ichihara gave Renji a mocking little wave as he disappeared back into the rainstorm.

Renji half rose to chase after him and then sank back down next to Sachi with a sigh. As much as he wanted to chase the bastard down and demand an explanation for what had just happened, his first priority needed to be getting Sachi back home.

Renji looked down at Sachi. She had fallen completely unconscious sometime during his kido spell. She looked peaceful though, with no creases in her brow that would indicate pain. Renji sighed again and brushed a strand of wet hair away from her face.

Damn it all, he thought, his hand involuntarily tightening into a fist. If only he had gotten his power back already this wouldn't have happened. Guilt and anger smoldering slowly in his gut, Renji stood and scooped Sachi up into his arms to take her home.

…

Monday rolled around after the rest of the very stressful weekend. Renji had constantly berated Sachi about going to a human doctor until she had yelled at him that she was fine. While her wounds certainly were still painful, the healing that Renji had done Saturday night was enough. And Sachi had no idea how she would explain her injuries to a doctor anyways. Renji clearly blamed himself and been morose since, despite Sachi's numerous assurances that she had gotten hurt because she had gotten careless. So when they went to school on Monday Sachi was secretly a bit relieved that she would get a break from Renji's gloomy attitude.

Renji, for his part, was indeed rather consumed by guilt. If he had gotten his powers back already, if he was better at kido, if he hadn't been helpless…he was convinced that if something had been different things would have turned out differently. He kept trying to tell himself that it really wasn't a big deal as Sachi was fine and that it was normal for a Soul Reaper to get injured while on duty, but he still felt responsible for Sachi and her safety.

Renji was unable to shake these thoughts as they entered their first class of the day on Monday. It especially didn't help when Sachi winced as she sat down at her desk and her back made contact with the back of the chair. Renji was halfway out of his seat before he realized what he was doing, but he hastily sat back down when Sachi shot him an irritated look that quite clearly said that she was fine and she would appreciate it if he would stop trying to smother her.

Renji sighed as he sat back down, silently berating himself. When had he gotten so protective of her anyways? She was a capable fighter after all. Renji was forcibly dragged from these thoughts as the door to the classroom slid open. Their English teacher, looking annoyed, put down her chalk and went to talk to whoever was at the door. She pulled back, looking even more aggravated, but said, "Abarai, Kurosaki- Ichihara-sensei would like a word with you two."

Sachi and Renji exchanged glances. He looked wary and Sachi felt apprehensive. She had been wondering if he was going to confront them again.

They both stood and exited the classroom to find Ichihara standing in the hall. He motioned for them to follow and they did so, as silently as him. He opened the door of the currently empty staff room and invited them inside. Ichihara went and made himself a cup of coffee while Renji and Sachi stood uncomfortably and watched him.

Ichihara turned back to them, coffee in hand, and sat at his desk with his infamous smirk firmly in place. "There's no need to look so worried you two. I just thought that we should have a little chat."

"About what?" Renji replied stiffly.

Sachi jumped as Ichihara abruptly turned to her "It seems like your wounds are healing nicely," he said in a slightly conspiratorial tone.

"Y-yes. I'm doing fine now Ichihara-sensei." Oh, but how his smile freaked her out.

"With all due respect sir, if you wanted to inquire about Sachi's health you could have just done so when we were in your class, instead of pulling us out of another one." Renji's stiffness had frozen.

Ichihara turned back to Renji and his grin widened. "That is very true Abarai," Ichiahara said, considering him closely. "Very well," he began, putting down his coffee and lacing his long fingers together. "I would like to propose a deal, if you like."

"A deal?" There was suspicion in Renji's voice now. Sachi shifted uneasily next to him. She didn't like where this was going.

"Yes. You see it is very difficult for me to kill Hollows during the day. It doesn't look very good if I run off in the middle of class. I am therefore proposing that you two take care of Hollows during school and I will handle them after school. I'm sure that the both of you have homework you need to complete."

It was silent for a moment as Ichihara smiled his eerie smile. The hairs on the back of Renji's neck were up. Something about this whole thing was very, very odd. Why hadn't he noticed Ichihara's powers when he had first come to the school? And why hadn't Ichihara revealed them until this past weekend?

Beside Renji Sachi was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. There was just something about Ichihara that made Sachi distrust him. There was a good reason why his nickname was Hebi-sensei.

After a silence that seemed to stretch into eternity Renji answered. "What's in it for you?"

Ichihara chuckled and then shrugged. "I thought it would just be beneficial all around. I would be able to teach interrupted, you two would be able to finish all your schoolwork, and the Hollows would be taken care of."

As Renji considered this Sachi broke in. "But Ichihara-sensei, how do you have your…power?"

Ichihara shrugged again, carelessly now. "I've been able to see spirits and Hollows for as long as I can remember. My powers just naturally developed on their own."

"But what did you do on Saturday exactly?" Renji asked his voice hard.

Ichihara slowly unwound his fingers and extended his right arm out straight, holding his palm forward. The same bright white light that Sachi had seen on Saturday extended from his hand and took the shape of a sword. Ichihara held the technique for a moment and then he made the sword like shape longer, extending it to the far side of the room. He shortened it again, held it for another moment, and then it dissolved.

Renji's eyes widened. The technique was so similar to Ichimaru's zanpakuto that it was uncanny. Ichihara truly was Ichimaru's reincarnation.

"It's quite simple actually," Ichihara said. "I make the shape with my spiritual energy and then I can extend and shorten it at will. It's good for piercing things, but not much else. I suppose it developed as a bit of a…defense mechanism." Ichihara leaned forward, resting his chin on his re-intertwined fingers. "I'm sure you can understand that," he added his eyes resting on Sachi.

Sachi tried to meet Ichihara's gaze, but quickly looked away trying to suppress a shiver. Glancing sideways Renji caught her discomfort and decided that he needed to end this quickly. "Alright. We'll agree to your deal for now."

Sachi shot him a surprised look while Ichihara stood, grinning even wider. "Wonderful," he said, sounding pleased. "I believe this will work in all of our self-interests."

Renji and Ichihara shook hands while Sachi watched, a bit appalled. Renji then gave Ichihara a stiff bow and said, "You'll have to excuse us now. We need to get back to class."

"Of course," Ichihara replied nonchalantly waving them out the door. Sachi gave him a hasty bow too and then dashed out of the room.

"Was that really such a good idea?" Sachi asked Renji.

Renji thought about her question for a moment. While it was true that Ichihara's deal was perfectly reasonable Renji was having a very difficult time trusting him. Ichihara not only looked like Gin Ichimaru, but they seemed to have very similar personalities too. Perhaps it was just the long distrust that he had developed around Ichimaru, but Renji just couldn't' shake the feeling that Ichihara was up to something.

"We'll go with his plan for now," Renji finally answered. He frowned deeply as he added, "We'll just have to keep a close eye on him."

**Author's Note:**

_Chpater 8 as promised. Two chapters within 24 hours is a first for me._

_So this chapter is important. You won't see a whole lot more of Ichihara for now, but (and I'm going to go ahead and say this) there will be a time skip and he will become much more of a main character after it. _

_Writing Ichihara was…interesting. I tried to keep him in character with Ichimaru, but I'm not sure how good of a job I did with that (besides Ichimaru's crazy accent which I really didn't feel brave enough to try). I suppose my characterization of Ichimaru is heavily influenced by my impression of him. I've always thought Ichimaru was really creepy so I tried to make Ichihara creepy too. And even though Ichimaru was trying to do the right thing by betraying Aizen and everything, I'm still inclined to think he's pretty evil because he went along with Aizen up until nearly the end. And that pretty much makes him completely untrustworthy. Anyways, writing Ichihara was kind of difficult, but it was fun._

_Also I've decided to use more Japanese terms in this story so you'll be seeing more -sensei's and -san's and stuff like that._

_Five reviews for the last chapter! I was actually kind of surprised, but it makes me feel super loved :D. So THANK YOU to my always-lovely reviewers Red6, bored411, Black Cat Angel, and Luafua and my new reviewer fearlessX1025! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 9: Recovery**

Another week and a half passed and Renji's mood did not improve. He had been in the real world for a little over a month now and his powers had shown no signs of returning. While Ichihara's deal had been working well and Sachi continued to improve, his guilt from that night still gnawed at him. He also hated being useless and without his powers that was all the he was. He spent increasing amounts of time brooding, turning Ichigo's Substitute Soul Reaper badge- which Urahara had given him 'just in case' the night he had delivered his gigai- over and over in his hands.

No one else had noticed because Renji was very good at acting normal when he needed to, but Sachi knew that Renji wasn't ok and it worried her. She had grown accustomed to having Renji around and had come to appreciate his company. Now, however, he was quicker to anger than he had been and far more self-deprecating. Sachi wasn't sure what was causing Renji's sourness, but she was really starting to wish that she had the old Renji back.

It was a Tuesday afternoon and Sachi and Renji were in their last class of the day with Ichihara. Renji had made it a matter of pride to do well in the human school, but had been having trouble focusing for the past week and a half. The human history class taught by Ichihara was the class he disliked the most and therefore the one he paid the least amount of attention in. So shortly after class started he tuned out Ichihara's voice and took out the badge.

Sachi glanced at Renji sideways. She had noticed his obsession with the badge, but didn't really understand his fascination with it. He told her what it was, but saying that it was a Substitute Soul Reaper badge didn't really mean anything to her.

Everything happened at once. Renji's soul pager began to beep, Ichihara turned to glare at him, and the faint presence of a Hollow appeared to those who were spiritually aware. But the most surprising thing was that the badge in Renji's hands began to make noise, a yowling like alarm sound issuing from it.

Renji was so surprised that he lost his grip on the badge, first fumbling it as he tried to get a better grip and then dropping it as it slipped through his fingers. Renji had been holding it up quite high when he had been examining it and as such when it fell it hit his chest. There was that strange ripping noise and Renji's soul tore itself from his gigai, the fake body collapsing and knocking over Renji's desk and chair in the process.

Everyone froze for a moment. Sachi stared in shock at Renji as he stood in the middle of the classroom in his spiritual from. Renji stared down at himself just as surprised as Sachi was. He was now in a shihakusho, his zanpakuto on his hip. He had finally left his gigai. That must mean…

Renji's exclamation of triumph came at the same time as the screams and the exclamations of alarm from the rest of the class and chaos broke lose. Renji turned and looked at Sachi with a grin that nearly split his face in two, oblivious to what was going on around him. Sachi could only stare back at him astonished.

It was Ichihara who finally calmed the class down into some semblance of order. He approached Renji's desk and looked down as if perplexed at Renji's now empty gigai. "It seems Abarai has passed out," Ichihara said, completely unconcerned. "Kurosaki I think you should take him to the nurse's office."

Sachi jumped, the sound of her surname bringing her back to the situation around them. "Sensei?"

"Ichihara-sensei? Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" another student interrupted.

"Don't be ridiculous," Ichihara replied dismissively. "I'm sure he'll be fine if Kurosaki takes him to the nurse."

Sachi understand what Ichihara meant as he shot a meaningful look at the now spiritual Renji who at least had the decency to look sheepish for the predicament he had put them in.

"Yes sir!" Sachi replied in response to Ichihara. She leaned down and pulled one of the arms of Renji's gigai over her shoulders. As an after thought she grabbed his bag with the soul pager still beeping inside and dragged both out of the classroom, the real Renji following.

Once they were out of sight of their classroom Renji let out a whoop of joy. "This is great!" Renji couldn't have been happier to finally be out of that stupid gigai. Finally he had his powers and he could fight again!

"Yeah real great," Sachi grumbled. "Now everyone is going to think you're dying." Renji's tried to act a bit more subdued because there was truth to Sachi's words, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning.

"Was that was supposed to happen?" Sachi asked, her curiosity overcoming her disgruntlement.

"Yep."

"But why hasn't it happened before?"

Renji frowned down at the badge in his hand before answering. "I don't know. It doesn't work if you don't have Soul Reaper powers." He didn't add that that was the reason why Urahara had it in the first place. Apparently Ichigo didn't want it around if it wasn't going to be useful. "I guess my powers just came back today and it reacted."

Suddenly the badge began to howl again and Sachi and Renji both remembered what had started this in the first place. "Alright!" Renji said, his grin back in place. "Now I can show you what I can really do."

"That's great, but can we do something with this first?" Sachi asked, indicating the gigai. Renji grabbed its other arm and together they managed to put it into a storage closet where hopefully it wouldn't be discovered before they got back. Sachi then joined Renji in spiritual form and they took off together to take care of the Hollow.

…

Sachi and Renji landed side-by-side on the roof of a building and looked down at the Hollow that was wreaking havoc in the middle of the street. It was quite large and seemed intent on terrorizing the living people that were running from the destruction it was causing.

Renji wasn't worried though. In fact he felt great. He finally had his powers back and he was finally going to be able to fight. It was time to make up for the mistakes he made the night Sachi became his substitute.

Sachi didn't move as Renji jumped down into the street to engage the Hollow. She had thought about it as they ran and had realized that this was what Renji had been waiting for. When his soul had popped out of his gigai in the classroom it was like a weight had been lifted from him. It wasn't that surprising Sachi had realized. Renji wasn't the type of guy that liked to have others do his fighting for him.

Sachi was just glad to have the old Renji back and she was sure that defeating the Hollow would make him feel even better. Besides, she hadn't seen him fight very much and she was kind of curious to see how good he was.

Renji dropped down next to the Hollow. "Hey! Ugly!" he shouted. The Hollow turned to him and seemed to consider him carefully before roaring. A cocky smirk lit Renji's face as he drew Zabimaru and the fight was on.

Renji had to admit that the Hollow was faster than most. But, really, it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. Renji ducked and weaved around the Hollow's attacks, made with claws and its tail, taking chunks out of the Hollow's flesh with his sword when the opportunity presented itself. Finally Renji managed to get a good cut in and the Hollow lost most of its tail. The Hollow reared back screaming while Renji jumped out of range, landing smoothly on the balls of his feet. "Is it that all you've got?" Renji challenged. He was enjoying this.

The Hollow stopped screaming and drew back a bit watching Renji carefully. Renji frowned a bit at this. Clearly this one was smarter than your run-of-the-mill Hollow. Yellow, lamp-like eyes narrowed behind the white mask and Renji suddenly got the feeling he was in trouble. The Hollow drew in an enormous breath and spat something at Renji.

Renji leaped easily out of the way but was dismayed to see the pavement where he had previously been standing dissolving away with a nasty hiss under the acid green gloop that the Hollow had spit at him. Renji looked back at the monster in front of him and if he didn't know better he would've sworn it was grinning. The Hollow drew in another huge breath and they were off again.

Dodging physical attacks and dodging acid spit attacks were two very different things as Renji quickly discovered. The Hollow's spit attacks came faster than Renji would have thought possible and it had uncanny accuracy with them. Soon the street and the surrounded buildings were pockmarked with holes that hissed unpleasantly even after all the goo was gone. As Renji dodged another attack and found that he wasn't quick enough, as the sudden burning in his side could attest too, he decided that he needed to end this and quickly.

Renji jumped back to where he was sure was out of range and laid his hand on the flat side of his zanpakuto's blade. "Howl! Zabimaru!" Renji shouted, running his hand down the blade. He waited, for the burst of his reiatsu, for Zabimaru to morph beneath his fingertips.

But nothing happened. Shit! He hadn't recovered enough to use his shikai yet? What the hell was up with that? Renji didn't have time to question the insanity that was currently his life further as a shadow suddenly fell over him. The Hollow loomed over him, mouth open wide and eyes eager. As the Hollow lunged towards him Renji brought Zabimaru up in a guard position, but he knew it was too late. Jeez, but he was an idiot. Such a stupid mistake to make.

At the last minute Renji was saved as the Hollow veered sideways, Sachi's zanpakuto embedded in its head. Sachi sliced cleanly through the Hollow's mask and it dissolved. Renji let out a sigh of relief.

Suddenly Sachi was in his face, the front of his shihakusho bunched in her fist in order for her to pull his face down to hers. "What the hell were you thinking?" Sachi shouted at him. "You almost got yourself killed! 

Renji was in total shock for a moment, but he recovered quickly. He wasn't one to sit by and take abuse. "What the hell are you talking about? I had everything under control!" Renji grabbed Sachi's hand and yanked at away from his chest, forcing her relinquish her grip on his uniform.

"No you didn't!" she yelled back, face red from anger. "You would have been dead if I hadn't stepped in! Is your ego really more important than your life?"

Renji opened his mouth to yell back, but something stopped him. The fact that she was right, of course. "I'm sorry alright?" Renji retorted, spitting out the words like they had burned him. "I didn't know I couldn't use my shikai."

Sachi and Renji glared at each other for a moment until she suddenly turned away. Renji was a bit perplexed, but Sachi was mortified. What on earth had come over her, she wondered, as her face changed to red from anger to red from embarrassment. Everything had been just fine as she watched Renji fight. Actually she had been kind of enjoying it, because Renji really was quite good. He had fought with an easy grace that Sachi was sure she could only hope to emulate.

Then the Hollow had begun to spit acid and worry had started to twist her gut into uncomfortable knots. When Renji had suddenly stopped and hadn't noticed the Hollow about to pounce on him Sachi's worry had turned to panic. She had suddenly become terrified that Renji was going to die and she didn't know what she'd do if he did. So she'd killed the Hollow and then yelled at him because she hadn't been able to stand her fear anymore.

"I'm sorry," Sachi said quietly. "You just…scared me is all. I thought you were going to die."

Renji was completely taken aback, first by her sudden change in mood and second by her admission. She really did care about him. Renji's face suddenly felt uncomfortably warm and something akin to shame settled in his stomach. "I'm sorry too…" he replied, his voice soft. "I didn't mean to scare you like that. I can't promise anything, but I'll try not to do it again."

Sachi looked over her shoulder at Renji. He was giving her an encouraging smile, both to accept his apology and to forgive him. Sachi's heart did a funny little flip in her chest. "Ok," she said, now blushing for a completely different reason.

They both stood there awkwardly for a moment. Renji wasn't sure what to say because he didn't want Sachi to get mad at him again and Sachi suddenly felt too shy to even look at Renji.

"We should probably head back to school before someone finds my giagi in that closet," Renji finally said, regaining some of his swagger as he sheathed his sword.

Sachi couldn't suppress her smile even if she had wanted to. "That _would_ be interesting though."

…

That night everything was back to normal. Or as normal as things ever were for them. That strange awkwardness Sachi had felt around Renji that afternoon was gone and the funk Renji had been in for the past week and a half had lifted.

Sachi was sitting on her bed doing homework while Renji leaned against its end studying. Finally Sachi groaned, falling backward onto the bed with her head hanging off, her eyes roughly at level with Renji's. "I can't do this anymore."

"You're going to fail that test tomorrow then," Renji replied, his eyes never leaving the book propped open in front of him.

"What do you care anyways?" Sachi asked with a pout. "It's not like it matters if you do homework or anything."

"So?" Renji turned to Sachi, eyebrow raised. "I always did well in school and I'm not gonna start failing now."

"Huh?"

Renji sighed. "I was in the advanced class at the Soul Reaper Academy and it would be a mark on my pride if I didn't do at least as good in that human school of yours."

"There's a school for Soul Reapers?" Sachi asked, surprised.

"Of course there is," Renji scoffed. "We don't just give any random idiot off the street a zanapakuto and send them off to kill Hollows."

"Huh…And you say you were in the advanced class?" Sachi asked slyly.

Renji put down the book he had been reading and glared at her. "Are you implying that I'm stupid?"

"I didn't say that," Sachi said innocently, but there was a wicked grin on her face.

Renji seemed to consider her for a moment and then he grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled. Sachi's head collided with the floor with a dull thud and a loud 'Ouch!'. She was left with her head and shoulders on the floor and the rest of her halfway off the bed.

"That was mean," she said scowling up at him.

Renji shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said smugly.

Suddenly Renji's soul pager began to beep. By the time Sachi had managed to flip herself over and stand Renji already had it open and in his hand. As Sachi reached for the gikongan in her pocket Renji held out a hand to stop her.

"I'll handle it," he said, unable to keep the grin off his face.

Sachi rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. "Alright. Just don't get yourself almost killed this time."

Renji pressed the Substitute Soul Reaper badge against his chest and his soul exited his body. "Don't worry so much," Renji said cockily. "There's a reason I'm a lieutenant remember? See ya!" Renji jumped out the window and was gone.

Sachi sighed as she sat back down on her bed. She was pretty sure that there was no way that she wouldn't worry about him after what had happened this afternoon. The thought that he might die made her blood run cold. But he was right of course. He could take care of himself.

And besides, Sachi thought as the corners of her mouth turned upwards in a tender smile, a little worry was definitely worth having the real Renji back.

**Author's Note:**

_Chapter 9! This one's a little bit shorter but oh well. I realized last chapter that I was having Renji fall for Sachi but I was neglecting having Sachi fall for Renji so I attempted to start working on that in this chapter. Also this chapter is where this story begins to diverge from the Bleach plot because Renji is getting his powers back and Rukia never did while she was in the real world. This will continue until the end of this first section of the story (before the time skip)._

_Five more reviews for Chapter 8! Gosh but I love it! Much love and thanks to my lovely repeat reviewers Red6, bored411, fearlessX1025, and Luafua and a big thanks to MikaBee2434LOVE who reviewed for the first time!_

_Something super exciting is going to happen next chapter so keep a look out for it! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 10: The Next Step**

"I feel stupid doing this."

"Quit complaining! Jinzen has been developed over thousands of years and it works!"

"I still feel stupid," Sachi grumbled.

Renji pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. "You enjoy pissing me off don't you…"

"Well, you do make it pretty easy," Sachi replied with a shrug and a grin.

"Just concentrate," Renji sighed, trying and failing to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

Sachi and Renji were deep in a wooded area of a park near Sachi's home. With the return of Renji's powers he had introduced sparring into Sachi's training and after the first session they both had decided that sparring was too energetic to do on the roof of the apartment building. The park offered more seclusion and no one would really notice if a few trees were felled, unlike having large chunks of concrete from the roof go missing.

The previous day Sachi, alarmed, had shown the guard of her zanpakuto to Renji again. The design on it had changed completely from the night that Renji had given her his powers. No longer like lighting bolts, the cutouts on the guard now resembled the jaws of some kind of animal. Sharp teeth lined the either side of the hilt with wicked canines interlocked on either end.

Renji had finally realized what the changes to Sachi's zanpakuto meant. Instead of losing her powers like she should have as Renji slowly gained his back, her own spiritual powers were awakening. As Renji's reiatsu returned to him Sachi's reiatsu began to fill her zanpakuto to replace his and its appearance had changed accordingly.

Renji had explained all this to Sachi, but had left out that this wasn't supposed to happen. And that the more her power awakened the more danger she would be in from Soul Society.

Worrying wouldn't do either of them any good, however, so Renji had decided it was time for Sachi to take the next step and attempt shikai. While it was ridiculous for a Soul Reaper to try and release shikai after just a month of training, Sachi _was_ Ichigo's daughter and Renji was certain that if anyone could do it she could.

Unfortunately Sachi had inherited other things from Ichigo besides his innate fighting ability. Like his stubbornness. She had spent fifteen minutes groaning and griping about having to mediate to talk to her zanpakuto. Her father hadn't learned his shikai that way so why did she have too, she had whined. Finally though Sachi had relented and she was now sitting cross-legged in the middle of a clearing with her enormous sword laid across her lap.

Sachi was completely still and silent as a breeze stirred the air inside the clearing. Sachi had entered into the trance that would allow her to go into her inner world as Renji knew she would. All he had to do now was wait.

…

When Sachi next opened her eyes the first thing she saw was blue. Bright blue, extending in all directions, all around her, for as far as the eye could see. Like the sky. In fact it was the sky and she was standing on a…cloud?

Once her mind had processed these facts Sachi let out a terrified scream. She was in the sky? On a cloud? Shouldn't she be falling to her death? Or was she already dead? Or-!

Sachi's terrified train of thought was interrupted by a playful voice. "What're you freaking out about?"

Sachi turned once in a hasty circle before she spotted the speaker. It was a young girl, who couldn't be older than ten or so. She had long wild black hair and dark eyes and was dressed in a rather tattered kimono colored in shades of black.

The little girl giggled at Sachi's terrified expression and spoke again. "You really shouldn't be afraid you know. This _is_ your inner world after all."

"My…my inner world?" Sachi managed to ask.

"Yep!"

Fear slowly draining out of her, Sachi took another chance to look around. She was indeed standing on a cloud in a sky of bright cerulean blue. The sun shone brilliantly to Sachi's left, leaving no room for shadows. Other clouds just as white and fluffy as the one Sachi was standing on drifted slowly by. Sachi edged as close as she dared to end of her cloud and looked down. Far, far below them she could make out the shapes of skyscrapers in a seemingly endless city.

"So this is my inner world?" Sachi asked the girl, finally regaining some of her confidence.

"Obviously," girl said, teasingly making a face. "I just said that."

"So you must be…." Sachi said slowly, making sure that she really was absorbing everything. "My zanpakuto."

The girl broke out in a wide grin. There was something in that smile though, a nasty light in her eyes perhaps, that made Sachi uneasy. "That's right! My name is -."

"Huh?" Confusion caused Sachi's brow to furrow.

"I said my name is -."

"I'm sorry," Sachi said carefully, worried she might offend the girl. "But I couldn't hear it."

"Ah…Well that is too bad," the girl replied. Her playful demeanor was gone as she watched Sachi with half-lidded eyes. "I'm afraid you're business here is done then."

The girl turned away. "Wait!" Sachi cried.

"Bye!" The girl's demeanor had done another one-eighty and she turned halfway back towards Sachi to give her a cheery wave. She then turned and with a massive running leap jumped to another cloud.

Sachi watched, dumbfounded, for a moment as the little girl moved away by jumping from cloud to cloud. "Come back, please!" Sachi called as the girl began to disappear into the distance.

Sachi couldn't let the girl get away. Not when she had just met her. She had to learn her name so that she could use shikai. With this thought spurring her on Sachi didn't take the time to think and ran forward, leaping of the end of the cloud towards the next one.

Unlike the girl's leap, however, it didn't carry her to next cloud. Sachi's jump was far too short and as she reached its apex she began to fall. As her body slowly turned Sachi was horrified to see the skyscrapers spread far out below her. She would fall to her death among them. Sachi opened her mouth to scream.

…

Renji had fallen asleep as he waited for Sachi to return. Time in a Soul Reaper's inner world rarely went at the same pace as the world outside so there was no telling when she'd be back. The sun had just set when Renji was awakened by Sachi's scream. He jumped up, Zabimaru already in his hand, when he realized that Sachi was back.

Sachi stood, panting hard, as she willed herself to calm down. She wasn't dead. She wasn't even sure if she had really fallen. She was in the clearing in the park- safe- with Renji. Suddenly exhausted she collapsed backwards into a sitting position.

Renji sheathed his sword and ran over to Sachi. "Are you alright?" he asked, concern coloring his voice. It was never a good sign when someone came out of their inner world screaming.

"Yea…I'm fine." Sachi sighed.

"What happened?"

Sachi wasn't sure what to say for a minute. "I met my zanpakuto's spirit."

There was a long moment of silence before Renji prompted her. "And?"

"I couldn't hear her name," Sachi admitted, sounding defeated.

Renji let out a sigh of relief as he stood straight again. Nothing horrible had happened then. "Well that's no big deal. It normally takes a while for a Soul Reaper to even enter their inner world, let alone actually hearing their zanpakuto's name."

"Really?" Sachi asked, looking hopefully up at Renji. She had been kind of worried that she had failed and he would be disappointed in her.

"Yep," Renji replied, giving her a grin.

Renji then offered Sachi a hand up which she gladly took. A strange little jolt of electricity- though Sachi wouldn't have said it was unpleasant- ran through Sachi's fingertips and up her arm as her skin made contact with Renji's. Once she was standing she let go of his hand more quickly than was strictly necessary, feeling slightly alarmed.

Renji, for his part, tried to ignore the wounded feeling that threatened to bubble up in his chest when Sachi dropped his hand so quickly. If he were being honest with himself he would have liked to feel her warmth against his hand a moment longer. Renji squashed this thought was well.

Sachi and Renji stood awkwardly in the twilight for a moment, neither quite willing to make eye contact. Finally Sachi turned smartly back towards the entrance to the park. "Let's go. Dinner should be ready by the time we get back."

The uncomfortable spell was broken and Sachi and Renji walked back through the park together as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "Great I'm starved. Do you think you could sneak me some extra rice tonight?" Renji asked, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Sachi had to smother her smile. She swore the man could eat enough for an army. "I'll see what I can do."

…

The next day found Sachi and Renji bounding across rooftops in pursuit of a Hollow. Sachi didn't think she'd ever grow accustomed to running around as a Soul Reaper. She loved the athleticism of her spiritual body and the feeling of flying as they traveled in massive leaps.

Sachi's pleasant musings were interrupted by the sound of the soul pager going off. They both paused on the rooftop of a grocery store as Renji pulled the beeping device from his pocket.

Renji frowned. "It says another Hollow has appeared."

Sachi peered over his shoulder. "I'll handle it," she said a little too quickly.

Renji glanced at her suspiciously. She tried her best to give him a confident smile. "Alright," Renji agreed, but he didn't sound convinced. "You take the soul pager. And be careful."

Sachi gave him a cheery wave and a smile as he turned and leapt away. Sachi quickly dropped the act, however, as she turned away and bounded off towards the location of the new Hollow. Anxiety flooded through her, spurring her on faster. The Hollow had appeared at her little brother's school.

…

Renji went down on one knee for a moment to catch his breath. It had taken him longer than he would have liked to defeat the Hollow and he was certain now that he hadn't been imagining it- the Hollows they were fighting were definitely getting stronger. Renji didn't know what it meant, but he did know that it was bad. It was like these Hollows were being sent to them rather than appearing naturally.

Renji stood and sheathed Zabimaru as he searched for Sachi's reiatsu. She hadn't been acting exactly normal when they had spilt up and his concern for her had been distracting him for his entire fight.

Locating Sachi's reiatsu only increased his worry as it was laced with desperation. Renji headed for Sachi as fast as he could, apprehension hurrying his steps.

…

Sachi landed on the wall surrounding her little brother's school on the verge of a panic attack. However, after observing the schoolyard and building for a moment and everything seemed normal she relaxed a little bit. It looked like it was recess at the moment. She smiled fondly as she spotted her brother playing soccer with his friends.

A strange rumbling sound suddenly filled the air and the wall beneath Sachi's feet began to vibrate. Before she could react the ground in the middle of the schoolyard began to break apart, two massive, shovel-like claws appearing among the cracks quickly followed by the rest of the Hollow. "Oh goody!" it cackled, its voice like gravel. "Kiddies!"

Sachi was frozen in shock for a moment. Since when did Hollow's talk? She sprang into action when the Hollow shot a long tongue out of its narrow jaws towards a group of fleeing children.

Sachi cut the end of the Hollow's tongue off before it could grab a child and it screamed. "OWWW! That hurt!" The Hollow emerged fully from the ground and looked around. "A Soul Reaper?" It had spotted Sachi. "It's my lucky day."

Sachi stood ready, but she was still uneasy. The school was in chaos as the teachers tried to evacuate the children. Many of them crouched crying where they were too terrified to move. Sachi found herself unconsciously searching for her brother out of the corners of her eyes.

The Hollow in front of her sat back on its haunches, tapping the tip of its claw to what Sachi supposed was its chin. "It's been a while since I ran into a Soul Reaper…" it mused. "What to do, what to do…"

If Sachi had been in any other situation she would have stared, slack-jawed at the Hollow for a while. Not only could this one talk, but it was also intelligent? Sachi hadn't known that there were Hollows like this. It was like it had regained some of its humanity or something. Or maybe not, Sachi thought gripping her zanpakuto tighter. It still wanted to eat the souls of humans.

"Isn't it obvious!" Sachi shouted at the creature. "You have to fight me."

"Yes, I suppose I could do that…" the Hollow continued to ponder. "But I've got such a taste for children." Sachi's grip was so tight on the hilt of her sword that her knuckles had turned white. Hot fury coursed through her. "Yes. That's what I'll do." The Hollow had apparently come to a decision and sounded definite now. It pointed one massive clawed hand at Sachi. "I'll save you for later!"

Before Sachi could react the claws shot off the Hollow's hand straight at her. Sachi managed to block two but a third embedded itself in her left shoulder. The force of the claw hitting her sent her flying back into a wall. She collapsed against it slightly dazed. Screaming children brought her back to herself and she was sickened to see the Hollow bearing down on them laughing manically.

Sachi gritted her teeth and wrenched the claw from her shoulder allowing the wound to bleed freely. Sachi tentatively raised her arm. She could still use it. Barely. She didn't really have time to think about it though and sprang forward again.

Sachi jumped towards the Hollow, sword raised high when it turned to glance at her. "Too slow Soul Reaper." The Hollow swiped at her with the back of its clawed hand and sent her flying again.

Again and again Sachi tried to attack and every time the Hollow allow deflected her easily, as if she was nothing more than and annoying fly. She had managed to successfully distract it, however, and by the time the Hollow got serious the schoolyard was nearly empty.

"I've had enough of this!" The Hollow roared angrily, its patience apparently spent.

Its tongue wrapped around Sachi's ankle as she charged it and she suddenly found herself whirling in a circle in the air. The Hollow let her ankle go and she soared away, connecting hard with a wall before collapsing to the ground. Sachi was dizzy and woozy from the repeated beatings and the world seemed to spin as she watched the Hollow.

It was ok though right? Most of the kids had gotten away. And Renji would get there soon to help her. That was good, Sachi decided, as she didn't think she could stand up again anyways.

That was until she saw who the Hollow's first victim would be. It was Tarou who was hiding, crying, under some of the playground equipment. Panic raced through Sachi as the Hollow's tongue wrapped around her brother and lifted him high into the air. His crying took on a hysterical edge as he screamed for help.

Tarou's screams spurred Sachi on as she struggled stand. The world wouldn't stop spinning though and Sachi finally plunged her zanpakuto into the ground and used it to drag herself to her feet. She was so unsteady that she couldn't pull her sword back out of the ground without falling.

"Tarou! _Tarou!_" Sachi screamed.

Tarou screamed and kicked and cried as the Hollow lifted him higher and higher into the air. Finally the Hollow held Tarou aloft directly above him. There was a horrible cracking sound and the Hollow's narrow mouth spilt open into a gaping maw lined with jagged teeth.

Sachi screamed, desperate to do something, anything, to save her brother. But the world continued to spin and her knees refused to stop shaking. Damn it! She had to do something!

Suddenly the world slowed to a stop, the colors draining away until everything was black and white. Sachi blinked, confused, as a form slowly materialized in front of her. "You!" Sachi gasped as she realized it was her zanpakuto spirit.

"Yep it's me!" the girl piped, giving Sachi a cheeky smile.

"Please! You have to help me! It's going to eat my brother!"

Sachi's zanpakuto turned back to look at the frozen scene before her. "Yes, it does look rather serious," she said cheerfully.

"Please," Sachi begged. "You can do something right?"

"Yes, I can," the zanpakuto spirit said softly. Then, louder, "I take you want to save your brother then?"

"Of course I do!" Sachi shouted angrily in reply.

"So much so that you would willingly give up your life to save his?" she asked coolly, eyes half lidded.

"Yes!" Sachi shouted without hesitating, her voice full of conviction.

The edges of the zanpakuto's mouth curled up into a mysterious smile. "Good. Very well. Call my name then, Sachi Kurosaki!"

…

As soon as Renji landed on the schoolyard wall he knew he was too late. The Hollow stood in the middle of the schoolyard, a child dangling from its tongue over its mouth. Renji wasn't sure, but he thought he recognized the kid as Sachi's little brother. Sachi was some distance away, supporting herself with her zanpakuto buried in the ground. It was clear that she was barely able to stand.

A variety of emotions coursed through Renji in those fleeting seconds. Remorse was the one he settled on. If only he had gotten there sooner, he thought angrily. If only it hadn't taken him so long to kill that damn Hollow.

The next moment everything changed.

Reiatsu began to build quickly around Sachi. It suddenly exploded outwards, creating a rotating wind around her and kicking up dust. The Hollow paused, just about to devour Sachi's brother, to watch. The hairs on the back of Renji's neck stood on end as Sachi's reiatsu continued to build. The amount of power she was producing was ridiculous.

The wind picked up and Renji found he couldn't keep his eyes open as the rotation turned into a powerful blast. Somehow, within the whistling of the wind, Sachi's voice found Renji's ears. "Rend! Tengetsu!"

The wind abruptly died, but Sachi's powered up reiatsu didn't diminish. Renji blinked several times to clear his eyes, not entirely believing what he was seeing. Sachi now stood tall and proud, her face determined. She no longer held her massive sword shaped zanapakuto, however. She had called her zanpakuto's name and released her shikai.

No longer buried in the ground, the weapon was held comfortably at her side. The blade had taken on the characteristic black and white coloring of shikai. It was also half as long as it had been though it had maintained its width. The end of the blade was wickedly curved and it narrowed a bit as it approached the hilt. Or handle would be more accurate. The hilt was gone and had been replaced by a two foot black pole extending from the guard.

As Renji stared, flabbergasted, Sachi suddenly disappeared. There was a horrible screaming from the Hollow and Renji refocused his attention on it. Its tongue had been cut off at the base, blood spraying from its mouth as it writhed about. Sachi stood a hundred feet away, Tarou under one arm, the blade of her zanpakuto dripping blood.

The Hollow turned towards Sachi, rage in every line of its body. "I'm going to kill you!" it screeched, its speech mangled with the majority of its tongue gone.

Sachi didn't budge or even blink as the Hollow charged her. Instead she raised her zanpakuto straight up in the air. Renji held his breath as he felt her reiatsu concentrating around the blade. The Hollow was feet from her when she brought her arm down, releasing all of the built up reiatsu at once. The concentrated energy easily cut the Hollow in half and made a massive gouge that went halfway across the schoolyard.

Relief and amazement coursed through Renji as he released the breath he had been holding, allowing it to whistle between his lips. He really shouldn't have expected anything less, but Sachi continued to surprise him with her progress. She had released her zanpakuto to shikai a day after she had first started training for it. And she had used what was undeniably an early form of Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho, similar to what Ichigo had used on Renji when he had defeated him in Soul Society.

Renji wondered if Sachi would ever stop surprising him, but quickly decided that the answer was probably 'no'.

Sachi lowered Tengetsu, amazed at what she had just done. _'Well done,'_ Tengetsu whispered in her mind as the zanpakuto resealed itself back into its normal sword form.

A moan from Tarou brought Sachi back to the present. As she gently laid him on the ground Sachi realized she was trembling all over. "Tarou?" she whispered, gently shaking him. He didn't stir again. Panic flooded through Sachi. He didn't look hurt, but she couldn't tell if he was ok or not. What if he…? "Tarou! _Tarou!_"

"Sachi!" Sachi's head snapped up and she saw Renji approaching her, a big smile of relief and pride on his face.

"Renji! I can't tell if he's ok or not!" Sachi yelled, on the verge of hysteria. Why wasn't he waking up!

Renji frowned, but squatted down next to Sachi. She waited on pins and needles as he carefully examined Tarou. Finally Renji looked up at Sachi, his smile now comforting. "Don't worry. He's totally fine, just unconscious."

Relief came crashing down over Sachi like a wave as the anxiety that she had been feeling since the second Hollow had appeared was released. Tears pricked in the corners of her eyes and Sachi suddenly found she was too exhausted to fight them.

Renji blinked, alarmed, as Sachi started to cry. "I'm…so glad!" she said between sobs.

Renji sighed. He supposed he really couldn't blame her for losing her composure. Still, he found he really wasn't comfortable with her crying. She shouldn't cry. Ever. She should always be smiling.

Somewhat hesitantly Renji reached out and wrapped a reassuring on arm around Sachi's shoulders. She leaned into him, seeking comfort in his warmth. "It's ok," Renji told Sachi softly. "You saved him. He's going to be fine."

"I know…" Sachi replied, the tears starting to slow though her voice was still shaky. "But for a minute there I thought…I really thought he was going to…"

Before Sachi could get going again Renji gave her a little shake. Sachi looked up at him, her face only inches from his, startled. "You did it Sachi. You really did it. Tarou's fine because you saved him. Everyday you get stronger and you released your shikai today and it's only been a day since you started trying to achieve it. I know for a fact that as long as you put your mind to it you can protect everything that's important to you."

Sachi stared at him for a moment, surprise in her eyes. Then her face split into a brilliant smile, her cheeks flushed with happiness. "Thank you, Renji."

Renji's breath caught in his throat for a moment. Their faces were so close. And even with her cheeks still wet with tears she was beautiful. So beautiful that it made his heart ache a bit.

It was then, as butterflies ricocheted around inside Renji's stomach, that he realized that he was in trouble.

**Author's Note:**

_Long chapter is long. Anyways here's Chapter 10! I told you it would be exciting didn't I? You got a little bit of everything in this chapter- romance, fighting, enigmatic zanpakuto spirits. I have to say that writing this was interesting. For some parts it was like pulling teeth and for others it just sort of flowed._

_Anyways I feel like I should explain my thinking on a couple of things. Ichigo and Isshin both can perform Getsuga Tensho and both their zanpakuto's names end with 'getsu'. So, I figured, these were things that were passed down within the family and that's why Sachi can (sort of- for now) use Getsuga Tensho and why her zanpakuto's name ends in 'getsu'. Also to the best of my knowledge Tengetsu doesn't actually mean anything. I just thought it sounded cool._

_Four reviews for Chapter 9! I absolutely love that this story has developed a fan base where people like Luafua, Red6, and bored411 review every chapter. THANK YOU! And I also want to thank Inspired Kid for reviewing my story for the first time. I'm honored that it was my story that got your first review on this site!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 11: Acceptance**

The past week had been rough for Renji. He was developing _feelings_ for Sachi…and not the best-friends-forever kind of feelings. Not that they weren't friends. In fact their friendship had turned into something very solid during the month and a half that Renji had been staying the real world. But these were different feelings. Butterflies in the stomach, sweaty palms, and stuttered speech feelings.

Renji hoped that Sachi hadn't noticed. Every time they got close to one another Renji started to feel edgy and he would jump and blush furiously whenever she touched him. He had a hard time maintaining eye contact with her now, but he often found himself just staring at her, examining her lips or her eyes or her nose.

There were a couple of problems with Renji's infatuation with Sachi. For one thing it was wrong on several levels. Sachi was Ichigo's daughter. It was definitely not ok for him to be developing feelings for her because of that. There was also the problem that she was human and he was not and the fact that he was several hundred years older than she was.

The other problem was rather more difficult for Renji to ponder. Wasn't he supposed to be in love with Rukia? He had loved Rukia since they were kids in Rukongai. How could he just stop loving her and start having those kinds of feelings for Sachi?

The few times that Renji did delve into those emotions he became rather concerned with what he found. Perhaps he hadn't really been in love with Rukia anymore when he had come to the real world. After all Renji knew that Rukia had been in love with Ichigo for the past few decades and Renji hadn't been able to keep fighting for her when her heart was so clearly somewhere else. Sure his heart still ached when he thought about Rukia, but a hollowness had developed within the pain. Like it really wasn't so important anymore. And then his thoughts would quickly turn to Sachi.

Not that it made him feel any better.

It was lunchtime and Renji was thus occupied as he stared morosely at his food. His feelings were getting to be such a distraction that he couldn't even remember to keep eating, he thought irritability, taking a vicious bite out of his sandwich.

Sachi watched Renji out of the corner of her eye. He was acting funny again. He wasn't acting as badly as he had before he had gotten his powers back, but Sachi was still worried. It seemed like he was nervous around her all the time now and she had no idea what she'd done that would make him that way. Sachi hated to think that she had done something that was causing Renji to be so upset. She turned back to her own food and sighed as her friends chattered around her. She wished she knew what was wrong with him.

Suddenly Renji's soul pager and the Substitute badge went off and they both jumped, startled. Renji hurriedly pulled the beeping device from his pocket as the badge yowled for only the two of them to hear. Sachi leaned against Renji's shoulder to get a better look at the screen as he read the orders. It was a physical effort for Renji not jump at Sachi's contact, but he knew there was no fighting the way his face was turning red.

Abruptly Sachi and Renji stood. Sachi's friends blinked blankly at them. "We have to…uh…go," Renji said stiffly.

"Don't worry we'll be back in a bit though!" Sachi added. She then grabbed Renji's hand and dragged him away before they were asked any questions.

Sachi's friends exchanged looks once they were gone. "What do you think they do every time his cell phone goes off?" Mao wondered aloud.

"Maybe they schedule their make-out sessions," Yuzuki suggested nonchalantly.

Akio sprayed his mouthful of water everywhere and began to choke. "You can't…be serious!" he coughed. Beside him Mao blushed furiously.

"Oh come on!" Yuzuki said rolling her eyes. "It's soooo obvious they like each other!"

Akio glowered at Yuzuki and Kenta couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't tell me you agree with her?" Akio asked, rounding on him.

"Well there's no doubt in my mind that Renji has developed feelings for Sachi. As for her…"

There was a beat of silence before Yuzuki snorted," She'll figure out that she likes him eventually."

…

Sachi and Renji arrived at an office park where businessmen and women hurried about, going to and from work and lunch. Renji observed the busy streets with apprehension. This was a bad place for a Hollow attack to occur. Someone was bound to get hurt.

Sachi squinted down at the streets a bit bemused. "Where's the Hollow at?"

Renji pulled out his soul pager to double check the orders. "Dunno," he frowned. "It should be here."

Sachi and Renji stood there for a moment longer when a hole suddenly appeared in the middle of the street, rending the fabric of reality in two. Sachi and Renji both tensed, hands on the hilts of their zanpakutos, ready for the Hollow to leap out and start attacking. Instead a Hollow, one that was really on the small side, sidled out of the tear and plopped itself down the in the middle of the street.

Renji paused. This wasn't normal Hollow behavior. Sachi didn't hesitate, however, and leapt down from the building they were standing on and into the street. "Wait a second!" Renji shouted after her.

"Why?" she shouted back. "We should take it out quickly before it hurts anyone!"

Renji grumbled under his breath in response. When had she gotten so impulsive? But he jumped down next to her all the same. "Alright fine, but let's be cautious about this. There's something different about that Hollow."

Sachi nodded in agreement, thinking about the Hollow she had met the day she learned shikai. They weren't all mindless beasts.

Sachi and Renji approached the Hollow at a careful walk, but it didn't seem to take any notice of their approach. In fact, it seemed quite out of it, waving its tentacle like arms about and humming to itself. When they stopped about a hundred feet from it, it had its back turned to them. Sachi and Renji exchanged skeptical glances. What the hell?

Suddenly the Hollow whirled around to face them and Sachi and Renji both instinctively reached for their zanpakuto's. They both stopped, however, when the Hollow let out a terrified shriek.

"Ahhhh! Soul Reapers!" The Hollow cringed away from them, its tentacle arms writhing. "Please don't kill me!" it cried.

Renji felt his eyebrow arch. This had to be some kind of joke right? Sachi couldn't help but feel kind of bad for the Hollow. It was kind of pathetic actually.

The Hollow, for its part, was still noisily pleading with them. "Please, I'm not going to do anything! Honest! Don't kill me!"

Renji slackened his grip on his zanpakuto and sighed. "Leave then," he told the Hollow, effectively cutting it off.

The Hollow froze, and though it was hard to tell, it seemed to be staring at Renji confused. Sachi felt the same way. Her jaw had dropped open when he had spoken.

Renji sighed again. He could feel a headache starting behind his eyes. "Look, if you leave now we won't kill you alright?" Renji repeated irritably. Catching Sachi's flabbergasted look he added, "We've got better things to do than deal with you right now."

"Wow, really?" the Hollow prompted, pleasure and surprise in its whiny voice. Sachi felt the urge to shake her head to make sure that she had heard Renji properly. Were they even allowed to do that?

"Yes," Renji snapped.

There was a beat of silence. And then, "Ummmm…no. I don't need to leave anymore!" the Hollow replied happily.

It was Renji's turn to be confused. "Huh?" A hand clapped down on Renji's shoulder. He looked over his shoulder and was confronted with the sight of a crowd of blank faced, glaze eyed, drooling humans gathered around him. "Whoa! What the hell?" he shouted, stumbling backwards in surprise.

"Aaah!" Renji turned at the sound of Sachi's scream and saw that a crowd of humans was quickly surrounding her as well. "Back off!" she shouted, drawing her zanpakuto and waving it around her in a circle in order to create some breathing room. The humans seemed to no longer have a concept of self-preservation, however, as they did not hesitate to draw closer to her again.

"Rend, Tengetsu!" she shouted, and the wind created from the force of her release did more to give her space than the threat of a physical attack did.

Renji ground his teeth together as he turned back to his own crowd of humans. They were slowly advancing on him, arms forward and hands out making compulsive grabbing motions. Damn it! What was he supposed to do now?

_What are you waiting for?_ Renji started as the deep voice echoed through his mind. _Call me._

"Zabimaru?" Renji whispered, drawing his sword and gazing down at it confusion.

_Who else would it be?_ This voice was higher and there was an underlying hiss in its irritated tone.

"Well how the hell should I know?" Renji grumbled back at it. "You haven't been responding for weeks!"

_Quit bitching!_ The second voice, that of Zabimaru's snake-like tail, echoed through his mind again. _Yes. You have precious little time to waste. Call me._ Renji was more inclined to listen to the baboon half of his zanpakuto spirit and so he did as he was bid. "Howl! Zabimaru!"

A surge of satisfaction washed through Renji as he released his zanpakuto and felt his own reiatsu surging around him. Man, it felt good to use his shikai again! His release had same effect on the people around him as Sachi's had and he used it to his advantage, leaping away from the growing crowd.

"I'll take care of you now!" Renji shouted, brimming with confidence. He sent Zabimaru stretching towards the Hollow, certain that it would end things quickly.

"Oh no!" the Hollow cried melodramatically and turning this way and that as though searching for an escape route. "Just kidding!" it cackled suddenly, turning to face Renji without an ounce of fear. Renji saw why as several humans suddenly shuffled in between it and his zanpakuto.

"Shit!" Renji flicked his arm and Zabimaru twisted away, burying itself in the ground and throwing broken pieces of concrete up in the air. This was definitely not good! How were they going to kill the Hollow if it was using the humans as a shield?

"Renji! I think I could use some help over here!" It was Sachi, who was quickly becoming overwhelmed by the crowd of people around her.

Resisting the urge to rip large chunks of his hair out in frustration, Renji dove into the fray, punching, kicking, and using the flat side of his sword to pummel his way towards where Sachi was.

Renji reached Sachi and dragged the last couple of people off her. They both stood there for a moment panting hard and waiting for the next wave to come. The people had stopped as well however. From behind the crowd the Hollow giggled manically. "Well this has been fun! I think it's time to end it, however!"

Sachi and Renji watched uneasily as the Hollow's body began to blow up like a balloon. Just when it reached the size that Sachi was sure it would explode at there was a hissing sound and heavy, grayish mist began to seep out from around the edges of the Hollow's mask. The mist quickly hit the ground as the Hollow began to deflate, and spread out towards them, long misty feelers reaching across the ground.

What the…? Sachi stared, somewhat mesmerized by the mists' advance. It was the mist, however, that triggered Renji's memory. "Shit!" he shouted, and after grabbing the back of Sachi's shihakusho, he jumped away.

They landed on the overhanging power lines. "What're you doing?" Sachi asked completely confused as Renji released her shihakusho and grabbed her hand instead.

"We've got to get out of here! Come on!" Renji shouted back over his shoulder, giving her hand a firm tug. Sachi ran along the power lines behind him completely confused.

"You can run, Soul Reapers, but you can't hide!" the Hollow sang behind them.

…

Sachi and Renji crouched in an alley a few blocks away to regroup. "So why did we have to run?" Sachi asked Renji, clearly puzzled.

"It's because of that Hollow," Renji sighed. "It's got a bit of a…reputation."

Sachi's brow furrowed. "A reputation?''

"Yea, it's been around for about a decade or so, but no one has been able to kill it yet."

"Why not?"

Renji measured Sachi carefully for a moment before speaking. "It's because of that gas that came out of its mask. It uses it to take control of the minds of the people who inhale it. It uses the people it controls as shields like it did now so that Soul Reapers can't attack it or…it forces Soul Reapers to kill each other before devouring them all."

Sachi looked aghast. "That's awful," she murmured. "So what're we going to do?"

Renji turned to look back down the alley towards where the Hollow was. "I don't know," Renji said, frustrated. "But we'll have to be careful."

They were both silent as they thought. Renji had a full force headache now. They were in a difficult situation, one where they'd have to think they're way out. That was neither his style no his strong suit. Sachi drew patterns on the ground with her finger as she thought. There had to be something…something…wait. That was it!

"I've got an idea!" Sachi suddenly shouted, triumphant. Renji quickly shushed her and she shot him an apologetic look. "Listen. I'll distract the zombies and…"

Sachi paused at Renji's blank look. "What?" she asked him.

"Zombies?"

"Yea, you know zombies. Those people under the Hollow's control are like zombies." Renji continued to stare blankly at Sachi. "Come you know, hordes of the undead?"

Nothing. Sachi sighed. "Never mind. I'll distract those people and then you can kill the Hollow."

"And why are you the one doing the distracting?" Renji questioned. He was uneasy about letting Sachi play the decoy.

"I saw your zanpakuto when you tried to attack the Hollow before. It stretches right?" Renji looked down at Zabimaru, still released in his hand. He nodded. "Do you have enough control over it to take the Hollow out if there are less people around?"

Renji looked back up at Sachi. Her expression was serious and there was complete and total trust in her eyes. If Renji said he could Sachi would risk herself without a second thought. Right. He could do this, Renji thought, determined. "Yes."

Sachi's face split into a brilliant smile and Renji's confidence soared. "Great. Let's do this then!"

…

"Yoohooooo! Hey! Over here!" Sachi shouted, waving Tengetsu above her head.

Down at the end of the street the Hollow paused, surrounded by an enormous crowd of people. Sachi swallowed hard. The Hollow's 'zombie horde' had multiplied and now it looked like it was armed. Many people were holding short clubs and pipes. Perhaps this hadn't been the best idea after all…no it didn't matter, Sachi told herself firmly. She had to give Renji an opening!

The Hollow cackled madly as it spotted her. "So you've finally come to play again! Sick 'er!" it shouted, wiggling one of its tentacle arms at her. A section of the group broke away from the rest into a shuffling trot that quickly turned into a full-out run.

Sachi turned and retreated. She hadn't counted on them running! But, as she turned the corner at the end of the street, she realized it wasn't enough. Not enough people were following her to give Renji a clear shot. Sachi skidded to a stop and turned to face the oncoming mass. She took a deep breath and set herself resolutely. She knew what she had to do.

Renji watched, aghast, as Sachi stopped running, turned and faced the crowd of mind controlled and armed humans, and charged them. He had to literally bite his tongue to keep from calling out to her. Idiot! Even if she was a Soul Reaper that many humans could kill her!

Sachi dove into the crowd and began cutting her way through, using blasts of unsharpened reiatsu to send people flying in all directions. Renji's heart was in his throat as Sachi broke out the crowd of people who had been following her and charged towards the Hollow.

"I don't think so!" the Hollow cackled, and another mob of people descended on Sachi. However, this time she managed to keep her sword arm and her released zanpakuto above the fray. Renji could feel the reiatsu gathering around the blade and then she shot the Getsuga Tensho-like attack towards the Hollow. It went wide, cutting a massive swath in one of the surrounding buildings and showering the street with glass and bits of concrete, but it had the intended effect.

The Hollow shrieked as if it had been cut. Sachi broke free from the mob again and sprinted past it. "After her! After her! Kill her! Kill her!" the Hollow screeched, enraged. The crowd of people surged after Sachi, faster than ever and Renji was horrified to see that it was overtaking her. He had to act now, before they beat her to death!

Renji leapt off the roof of the building he'd been hiding on, waiting to ambush the Hollow. "Go, Zabimaru!" he shouted, sending his blade flying towards it.

The Hollow looked up and shrieked. The few people who had been straggling behind the rest of the crowd rushed forward to guard it. Renji smirked triumphantly. "Too little, too late!" With expert precision Renji weaved Zabimaru between the humans. As the Hollow turned to try and run Zabimaru cut a path through its head and buried itself in the wall behind it.

As the Hollow dissolved the humans awakened, light coming back into their eyes as they put their hands to their heads in confusion. Renji sealed and sheathed Zabimaru before heading towards where he had last seen Sachi. The mob that had chased her had returned to normal as well, asking each other loudly what had happened. Renji pushed his way through the crowd ignoring the confused and alarmed shouts of the people who could no longer see him.

He found Sachi lying spread eagle on her back. There were several visible bruises that he could see and blood gushed from a wound somewhere above her hairline. On the edge of panic Renji kneeled down next her, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulled her up against his chest. "Sachi? Sachi?"

Sachi slowly cracked her eyes open. "I take it we did it then?"

"Yea…" Renji answered, relief flooding through him. "You ok?"

"Yea," Sachi replied, sitting up the rest of the way on her own as Renji reluctantly released her. She cautiously put a hand to her head and drew it back, noticing the pointed look Renji was giving her now bloody fingers. "Don't worry," Sachi told him with a sheepish grin. "Head wounds just bleed a lot."

Renji blinked, once, twice and then began to laugh, his mirth quickly growing to the point where he was doubled over with laughter. It was all just too ridiculous. The Hollow, the "zombies". And Sachi. Beautiful, brilliant, insane, brave, reckless, stubborn, unashamed…she was all these things. And…and…Renji was falling in love with her. For all those reasons and more.

As Renji regained control of himself, he realized that there was not point in fighting it anymore. He was already halfway in love with Sachi so why not accept it and enjoy the ride? Renji found that this thought made him honestly and truly happy. Sachi stared at him bemused and Renji couldn't help but grin wider. "Come on. We should get back to school," he said standing, and offering her a hand up.

As Sachi took Renji's proffered hand and pulled her to her feet she realized something had changed. It wasn't like when he had gotten his powers back and something had lifted from him. This time it was like Renji had decided something and now he was going for what ever it was wholeheartedly. Sachi was baffled. What did this mean?

He was suddenly and completely different. He didn't drop her hand at all after he had pulled her up, the warmth from his grip sending tingles up her arm. And he met her eye like he hadn't in a week, a silly and blissful grin plastered across his face. What on earth had happened to him?

And why was she suddenly the one with the blush as his hand warmed hers? Why was the look in his eye making her heart flutter?

**Author's Note:**

_Oh, but I love this story! I swear it writes itself. I keep the word documents for the two stories I'm working on open pretty much all the time and I just switch between them. When I posted the most recent chapter of my other story I switched to this and just wrote the first page without even trying. It was like BOOM._

_Anyways I had some fun with this chapter and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also its probably good that this chapter is light hearted because the next one is gonna be kinda angsty. As for Renji not knowing what zombies are, to the best of my knowledge zombies are not a natural part of Japanese mythology and since Soul Society is like traditional Japan I figured he probably wouldn't know what they were._

_Four more reviews! Yay! Thank you to KuroOkamii77, Red6, Luafua, and bored411! You all are awesome! _

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 12: Daddy's Girl**

"Hmmmm…"

Feeling slightly irritated, Renji put down his book. "What?"

Renji was lying on his futon and had been holding a book up so that he could look at it and study. Sachi was leaning over him from her desk chair, apparently very interested in his forehead.

"I'm looking at your tattoos," Sachi replied giving him a smile. Renji scowled at her. "And your eyebrows-!"

Sachi was interrupted as Renji quickly jumped to his feet. If there was anything that Renji was touchy about it was his tattooed eyebrows. "Yea, yea they look funny," he growled stomping over towards the door to Sachi's room.

"I wasn't going to say that," Sachi said, a bit defensively.

Renji paused in the doorway, surprised. He turned around and gave Sachi a searching look. "What were you going to say then?"

"I was _going_ to say that I think they look cool," Sachi pouted.

Renji's stomach did a funny little flip. She thought his eyebrows were _cool_? It was all Renji could do not to 'whoop' with joy. It didn't stop the big grin that broke across his face, however. He knew there was a reason why he was in love with her. "Thanks," he said, scratching the back of his head both sheepish and elated.

Suddenly the corners of Sachi's smile quirked mischievously. She narrowed her eyes playfully and said, "But now that you mention it…"

"Oh, shut up," Renji half-heartedly growled, throwing the book he had been studying good-naturedly at her. Sachi caught it with ease. "I'm gonna go take bath." Renji swaggered out the room, his eyebrows new found status as 'cool' adding a spring to his step.

"Thanks! I needed this book!" Sachi called after him.

…

Sachi sat at the kitchen table working her way through a box of cookies as she studied. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon. Her parents had taken her brother to a kendo tournament out of town and wouldn't be back until tomorrow. She and Renji had free run of the house until then, and Renji had already taken advantage of it by taking a long bath instead of sneaking a shower during the middle of the night.

At the sound of footsteps entering the kitchen Sachi looked up. Renji had finished his bath. Something in Sachi's brain shorted out as she stared at him. His hair, still damp, hung loose around his shoulders. And he was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts sitting what Sachi thought was fair to call 'scandalously' low on his hips.

Sachi could feel heat flooding her face as her eyes traveled over Renji's bare torso. It wasn't the first time she had seen him without a shirt on. It was kind of impossible not to catch glimpses seeing as for all intents and purposes they were living in the same room. But she had never gotten a good, long look at him.

Sachi had already known that Renji was muscular, but it was more than that. He was…_ripped_. His muscles rippled attractively beneath his skin as he shifted under her gaze. The black lines of his tattoos only added to the effect as they crossed his abs, chest, and arms. The only cohesive thought that Sachi could form was that Renji was Hot. With a capital 'H'.

Renji frowned as Sachi stared at him, her mouth slightly agape. "You ok?" he asked uncertainly.

Sachi jumped at the sound of his voice, as if startled, and quickly looked back down at her book blushing furiously. "I-I'm fine!" she replied, her voice an embarrassed squeak. She had been caught staring at him, she screamed, horrified, in her head. Why had she been staring at him in the first place? Yea he was Hot, but…but… Sachi was so flustered that she couldn't think straight.

Renji's sudden understanding brought a devilish smirk to his face as it stoked his ego. Renji sauntered over to Sachi and flirtatiously leaned close to her as he reached around her towards the cookie box. Sachi let out a little squeak of surprise and hunched up further in her chair, her face such a brilliant shade of red it was practically glowing.

Renji easily snatched the last cookie from the box and moved away, immensely satisfied with himself. As Renji took a bite of his prize Sachi realized what had happened. "Hey! That was the last one!" she shouted, rounding on him.

Renji simply shrugged as he dug through the fridge. He turned around with the jug of milk in his hand and the half-eaten cookie dangling from his mouth. Sachi, whose face had begun to cool in her indignant anger, lit up like a light again.

Renji smirked. "Do you want it back?" he asked, waving the cookie towards her.

"No! Jerk!" Sachi shouted at him, throwing the book in his general direction. She was too embarrassed again to actually look at him when she threw so Renji easily ducked.

"Your loss," Renji shrugged again, popping the rest of the cookie in his mouth.

"Don't drink straight out of the jug! And put a shirt on!" Sachi shouted, miserable with embarrassment as she attempted to stare a hole in the table in front of her.

Renji couldn't stop himself from chuckling as he put the milk jug, which he had sneaked a swig from, back in the fridge. He did as he was bid, however, walking over to the washer/dryer and pulling out a clean shirt. This was another advantage to Sachi's parents being out of town, Renji thought as he pulled his 'red pineapple' shirt over his head. He could do his laundry here rather than having to drag it down the street to a laundromat.

Renji pulled his hair back into its customary ponytail as he headed into the family room to give Sachi, who was still staring determinedly at the table with a bright blush across her cheeks, some space to cool off. This was Renji's first real opportunity to have a good look around Sachi's family's apartment and he planned on taking advantage of it. He spent some time poking around the TV and a bookshelf before coming to a small table nearly overflowing with picture frames.

Renji leaned down to get a better look at all the pictures. Some were of Sachi's little brother, some of her stepfather and her mother, and even a few of just Sachi. Renji was about to move away when one in the back caught his eye. He picked it up, balancing it carefully in his hand as he examined it.

As always, Renji was startled by Sachi's mother's resemblance to Rukia. In this picture she was younger and had a big smile on her face. In her arms was a young girl with bright orange hair that Renji immediately recognized as a young Sachi. A fond smile crept onto Renji's face. She was a cute kid, waving to the camera like that with an enormous smile on her face.

Renji frowned as he realized something. There was an arm around Sachi's mother's shoulder, but there was no one else in the picture. Renji turned the frame over, confused. As he puzzled over it Renji realized that the frame was narrower than a lot of the others on the table. Suddenly insatiably curious Renji opened the back of the frame and pulled the picture out. It had clearly been folded over so that the other person in the picture was hidden. Renji smoothed the photograph out and was stunned by what he saw.

There was Ichigo, older than when Renji had last seen him, his arm around his daughter and wife. In many ways Ichigo didn't look any different. His hair was that vibrant orange color that Sachi had inherited and he easily towered over his wife, clearly just as tall if not taller. But his face…Renji had never seen Ichigo smile like that. His face was split into a wide grin, radiating joy in a way that he wouldn't have been sure was even possible for Ichigo if he hadn't seen it with is own eyes. It made Renji glad though, to know that Ichigo could be happy like that even after shouldering the enormous burdens that he had carried when Renji had known him.

"What're you looking at?"

Renji jumped as though he had been caught doing something bad. He turned to face Sachi, wondering whether it would have been wiser to attempt to hide the picture he had been looking at. Sachi caught a glimpse of the photo and suddenly seemed to shut down, her expression turning stony. Renji was immediately alarmed.

"I-I was just looking around and saw this picture. I…uh…I never thought your dad could look this happy!" Renji then forced laugh, which quickly turned awkward.

"He doesn't look like that," Sachi answered, her voice completely emotionless as she turned away. "Put the picture back."

"Huh?" Renji was confused.

"I said he doesn't look like that!" Sachi shouted her voice rising. She tried to walk away, but Renji wrapped his hand around her wrist. She whipped around, glaring at him with uncharacteristic anger in her eyes. "Let me go."

"No." Renji met Sachi's eye steadily, determination bolstering him against her searing glare. Where Ichigo was and why Sachi seemed to be so reluctant to talk about him had been bothering Renji during his entire stay in the real world. Now that he had a chance to get Sachi to tell him Renji wasn't about to let it go. "What happened Sachi?" he asked her quietly.

"Let me go!" Sachi snarled at him.

"Not until you tell me what happened!" Renji's temper was starting to rise in response to Sachi's.

"No!" she shouted, struggling against his unyielding grasp. "I don't want to talk about it!"

"Sachi!" Something about the urgency in Renji's tone made her pause. "Ichigo Kurosaki is not just a good man and hero- he was my friend!" Sachi turned to glance at Renji out of the corner of her eye. There was something strangely desperate in his expression. "And I want to know _what_ he could have possibly done to make you hate him so much!"

Sachi looked away again as she considered Renji's plea. She didn't want to talk about it. She had never told anyone why she disliked her father so much. Just thinking about it opened too many wounds. And yet…she trusted Renji. She knew he was her friend, that he would never judge her because of her feelings. And he had known her father. Maybe he would be able to understand why she felt the way she did.

Sachi went limp as the fight went out of her. "Ok," she said, her voice sounding defeated. She went over to the couch and sat down. Renji carefully refolded the photo, put it back in its frame, and put it back into its original position on the table with the other pictures. He then sat in the chair across from Sachi and leaned back, waiting for Sachi to begin.

Sachi took a long moment to gather her thoughts. When she began to speak her voice was full of sadness. "When I was little I loved my dad more than anything. He did everything with me. My mom was always really busy at work- she was a reporter- so my dad would leave the family clinic in the afternoon and pick me up from school. He'd take me to my karate lessons and afterwards we'd always go to the park or get ice cream. Dad would play with me, read me bedtime stories, all that stuff. And he was always smiling and laughing. I was always happiest when I was with my dad." A rueful smile crossed Sachi's face. "I was such a daddy's girl."

"And then everything…changed." Renji noticed Sachi's hands clench. "It was the day of my ninth birthday. There was supposed to be a surprise party, so dad took me to the park while mom set it up. And while we were there… There was an explosion. Later they said it was a gas explosion, but I don't really remember because I got knocked out. But I do remember dad got this really scared look on his face and then he started screaming my name…" A furrow formed between Sachi's eyebrows as she tried to remember.

"Anyways, after that dad was different. He didn't laugh or smile anymore. He just frowned all the time. In fact he barely even looked at me. He still picked me up from school and stuff, but no matter how much I pestered him he essentially ignored me. He did the same to my mom and she started to get really angry about it. She accused him of all kinds of things, but he never said anything to defend himself. Finally my mom divorced him." Sachi drew her knees up onto the couch and wrapped her arms around them looking positively miserable.

"He never, not even once, tried to stop her from divorcing him. Or tried to stop her from taking me…" The last sentence was nearly inaudible, but Renji heard it.

And he finally understood. Sachi, who had loved Ichigo more than anything, felt that she had been betrayed by him: that he had abandoned her by not trying to keep her mother from taking her. Renji was suddenly seized by the urge to go to Karakura and give Ichigo a good punch in the face. He was angry that Ichigo would ever make Sachi look that sad. But, Renji wondered, what could have happened to make Ichigo shut down like that? That didn't sound like the Ichigo he had known.

Sachi chanced a glance over at Renji. He seemed to be lost in thought. She stared down at her knees. Sachi thought she would feel awful after telling Renji everything, but in reality she felt a little better. Like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She couldn't help but feel grateful to Renji for being the one she had confided in even if he'd essentially forced it out of her.

"Look…" Renji began suddenly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry I made you tell me and everything-!"

"It's ok," Sachi interrupted him. Renji blinked at her, taken aback. Sachi looked away again a small smile on her face. "Actually I feel sort of…better, now that someone else knows…" The smile quickly fell from Sachi's face, being replaced by a deep melancholy.

Renji watched Sachi for a moment and then decided to throw caution to the wind. It made his heart ache to see her look so sad.

Sachi looked up in surprise when Renji sat down next to her. He held her gaze for a long moment and then slowly, carefully- giving her plenty of time to pull away if she wished- he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Sachi was too surprised to do anything for a moment but then she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around him.

Happiness glowed warmly in Renji's chest as Sachi's arms wrapped around him. She wasn't just putting her arms around him: she was hugging him back. Renji silently swore to himself that he would do whatever her could to make sure that Sachi was never sad again.

Sachi was…warm. Renji's warmth seeped into her, making her stomach feel like it was full of butterflies and her heart beat quickly in her chest. Most of all, though, Sachi felt safe: like she somehow belonged in his arms. This thought was strange, but for once Sachi didn't question it. She needed Renji's comfort too much and so, instead, she buried her face in the junction of his neck and shoulder and held him tighter.

While they both would have been content to stay as they were indefinitely, Renji's soul pager began to beep and the Badge howled from the bedroom. They reluctantly pulled away from each other. Renji was irritated that a Hollow had appeared and Sachi was blushing furiously, embarrassed, that they had been hugging for so long.

"You ok?" Renji asked Sachi gently.

"I'm fine," Sachi replied, offering him a wan smile.

Renji didn't quite believe her, but they really didn't have any time to waste. Instead he stood and offered his hand to Sachi. She took it without hesitation, glad both for his help and that fact that he was always there for her. Sachi was beginning to wonder what she would do without him.

**Author's Note:**

_So this chapter is kind of short, but hopefully enough happened to make up for it. Also I said it was going to be kinda angsty, but there was actually more fluff then I originally intended. I suppose that's ok though because everyone probably prefers reading fluff right? So you got some explanation about why Ichigo isn't around is this chapter. I know it wasn't really that much, but I swear everything will start to make more sense the farther along we get._

_So a couple points…there've been a couple episodes of House Hunters International that have been in Japan and apparently there they put machines in their kitchens that will both wash and dry your clothes. Isn't that an awesome idea? I think it's better than how we do laundry in the US anyways. Also if Ichigo seems OOC because he was so happy I apologize. But I feel like having a kid would help heal the whole in his heart created by his mother's death and so he'd be happier than he is in canon._

_Only three reviews this time… :(. But thank you to my wonderful repeat reviewers who review every time without fail: Red6, Luafua, and bored411! THANK YOU!_

_Four more chapters until the time skip! GAH I'm excited!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 13: Chrome Dome and Feathers**

"Good morning!"

"Yo."

Sachi and Renji greeted their friends outside the gates of the school on Monday morning. Everyone responded in kind and they quickly began to chat.

"So how'd your weekend go?" Yuzuki asked Sachi and Renji conspiratorially.

Sachi and Renji were both quiet for a moment before glancing surreptitiously towards each other. Their eyes met and Sachi immediately looked away, blushing. Renji gazed at her for a moment longer before turning calmly back to face their friends.

"I-it was fine!" Sachi stammered squeakily.

"Ooooh?" Yuzuki asked, quirking an eyebrow. Her grin bordered on predatory. "Do tell."

""W-what do you mean by that?" Sachi replied, clearly flustered, her blush deepening.

"There's no need to be coy Sachi. I _know_ your parents were out of town."

"So? That doesn't mean anything!"

"It doesn't?" Yuzuki questioned slyly.

"Just what are you implying exactly?" Sachi's face was beginning to glow. Even Renji's face was starting to take on a pinkish tinge because of Yuzuki's insinuations. Mao giggled a bit from behind her hands, Akio looked rather sour, and Kenta was faintly amused.

Yuzuki opened her mouth to continue grilling Sachi, but Kenta decided it was time to take pity on his two friends. "We should probably head inside now," he commented lightly. "The bell's about to ring."

"Yes, let's," Akio said, turning on his heel and stomping inside. Mao trailed after him still giggling.

"Yea! We don't want to be late for class!" Sachi cried, relieved to be given an escape. She mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Kenta, who merely shrugged in return, as Yuzuki headed onto school grounds looking put out.

Sachi was about to enter the gates when she realized Renji wasn't with her. She turned around and saw him standing where he had been with his head up and a far away look in his eyes.

"Renji?" Renji started at the sound of Sachi's voice. She was staring at him concerned. "Are you ok?"

"Yea, I'm fine," Renji said, plastering as much of a smile as he could muster on his face. "I've just got to…uh…take care of something. I'll be right back." He then turned around and started walking away in direction they had come.

"Wait…Renji!" Sachi called after him. Renji turned halfway around and waved, but he kept going. Worry tugged at Sachi's heartstrings as she watched him walk away. What was that about?

…

Renji waited in the alley down one side of the school grounds. He had sensed them as soon as they had arrived in the real world so he wasn't surprised at all when two other Soul Reapers dropped down next to him. "What're you two doing here?" Renji asked without introduction.

"What an unbeautiful way to greet someone," Yumichika Ayasegawa replied, flipping his hair out his face huffily.

"Yea," Ikkaku Madarame added irritably. "Have some respect for your elders."

"I outrank both of you now you know," Renji deadpanned.

"That's beside the point!" Ikkaku shouted.

"Indeed," Yumichika continued, nodding.

Renji rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry Ikkaku-san, Yumichika-san," he said, bowing slightly to both of them. "Now would you please just tell me why you're here?"

Both Soul Reaper's demeanors became more serious. "Do we really need to spell it out for you Renji?" Ikkaku asked.

No of course they didn't. Renji had been worried for a while now that someone was going to be sent to look for him.

"Renji!" Renji froze as he heard Sachi call his name. "Renji! You're gonna be late for class! Ren-!"

Sachi broke off in surprise as she rounded the corner and saw Renji standing between two other Soul Reapers who were staring curiously at her. "Uh…Who're…" Sachi trailed off again as Renji violently shook his head behind the other Soul Reaper's backs.

Ikkaku and Yumichika turned their gazes from the girl back to Renji as one as he hurriedly stopped shaking his head. "I'll be there in a second!" Renji shouted to Sachi with fake cheerfulness. "Just give me another minute!"

"Ok…" Sachi said hesitantly, while Renji silently willed her to turn around and leave. When she finally did he heaved a silent breath of relief. That had been way too close for his comfort.

Yumichika looked skeptically at where the girl had stood and then back to Renji. "She could she us couldn't she." It wasn't a question.

"D-don't be ridiculous, Yumichika-san," Renji replied hastily.

"Lying isn't beautiful Renji," Yumichika said breezily, but the warning was clear in his voice. Ikkaku watched their exchange passively.

Renji decided it would be best to ignore that last comment. "Let's go talk somewhere else," Renji said as he walked past them. "If we stay here one of the teachers will probably find me." He didn't turn around to look, but he knew they were following him.

…

They walked and walked and walked. Renji had every intention of dragging this out as long as he could. He did not want to talk to Ikkaku and Yumichika about why they had come. He did not want to face the consequences of his actions. And most of all he wanted to make sure that Sachi would be safe. If Soul Society found out what had happened she would be in even more danger than he would be.

"Are we far enough away yet?" Ikkaku finally exploded in the middle of a park. They had been walking for at least an hour. Renji turned around to see Ikkaku panting, veins popping out all over his face.

Yumichika stopped next to Ikkaku and while he was much calmer it was clear his patience was wearing thin as well. "It won't do you any good to keep running from this Renji."

Renji shrugged. "Ok," he responded as nonchalantly as he could.

Yumichika took this as an invitation to begin. "They want to know why this mission is taking you so long."

"Sometimes it just takes a while."

"That's bullshit and you know it," Ikkaku growled irritably. "You should have been back in less than week and it's already been two months."

"It's not my fault ok? It's been harder than I expected. I'll come back when I'm finished." Renji's expression had grown stony as he stood his ground against them.

"I see…" Yumichika said contemplatively, while Ikkaku silently fumed next to him. "It seems to me though…that there's something you're not telling us." Yumichika's eyes glinted perceptively.

"I don't have anything to hide," Renji replied. He met Yumichika's gaze without hesitation.

Their tense standoff was broken by the sound of three soul pagers beeping. "Alright!" Ikkaku exclaimed as he pulled his out, plainly excited at the prospect of a fight. Yumichika hissed softly in irritation at the interruption while Renji was secretly relieved.

The sudden appearance of a heavy Hollow reiatsu made their Soul Pagers superfluous, however. All three looked up, surprised, as a Menos Grande slowly emerged into the real world among the towering skyscrapers a mile away.

"What the hell?" Renji shouted. Now they were getting Menos?

"It's my lucky day!" Ikkaku crowed with delight.

"There's more than one."

"Huh?" Renji and Ikkaku exclaimed simultaneously as they turned to stare at Yumichika. He pushed a strand of hair behind his ear as the read the orders. "There are another two emerging in different areas of the city. We'll need to split up," he added, looking up at Renji and Ikkaku.

"Sounds good to me! I get dibs on the biggest one!" Ikkaku shouted and took off towards the first Menos Grande with a whoop of excitement.

"I'm going to take the next one. I take it you can handle the last one?" Yumichika asked as he stowed his Soul Pager back inside his shihakusho.

"Of course," Renji scoffed as his hand tightened around Ichigo's old Badge in his pocket in order to stifle it's howling. Yumichika nodded to him and then disappeared, moving quickly away using shunpo.

There was just one problem with this whole thing, Renji thought as he pulled the Badge out of his pocket. Without his reiatsu fully recovered he wasn't sure he could handle a Menos Grande by himself.

…

"Are you sure you're ok?"

Sachi turned towards Mao, looking distracted. They were on break, but it was clear to Sachi's friends that she'd barely noticed.

"Yea, I'm fine!" Sachi replied, offering them a smile before turning back towards the window. She didn't notice as her friends exchanged concerned glances behind her back.

But Sachi wasn't really fine. She was worrying herself sick about Renji. Who had those other two Soul Reapers been? What did they want with Renji? He hadn't been acting like himself when she'd gone to find him. He wasn't in trouble was he? They were halfway through their morning classes and he still hadn't returned.

Suddenly Sachi felt a massive reiatsu appear. It was clearly a Hollow, but it was stronger than anything she had felt before. She wasn't particularly good at sensing reiatsu, as she had discovered during her training with Renji, but there was no way she could miss this one.

Fear settled in her gut as sweat trickled down the back of her neck. This reiatsu was terrifying. And Renji…could he handle this alone? Could they handle it together if she was there? She had no idea.

Sachi stood abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor. "Sachi?" Yuzuki exclaimed, surprised.

"I have to go." With that simple pronouncement Sachi ran for the door of the classroom. Renji had made it clear that she needed to stay away from him while those other Soul Reapers were around, but she couldn't let him face this Hollow on his own.

"Wait, Sachi!" Yuzuki called after her.

…

Renji fell back yet again, breathing hard. He had been right- he couldn't handle a Menos on his own yet. But he had to finish it off somehow, he thought angrily as he ground his teeth together. If Ikkaku and Yumichika had to come and help him it would raise a lot of questions that Renji didn't want to answer.

The good thing about Menos was that they were slow and stupid. Renji took a deep breath and leapt forward. He brought Zabimaru around again and again, lashing at the Hollows body and mask. The Menos Grande roared as it turned, trying to keep track of him.

Renji landed on the rooftop of another building and squatted there trying to catch his breath. If only he could get somewhere with his attacks! The Menos slowly turned towards him as he rested and Renji was horrified to see that it had a cero charging as it faced him.

"Shit!" The Meno released its cero and Renji's eyes went wide. There was no way he was going to be able to get out of the way in time.

He was going to die here.

Renji closed his eyes, waiting to be incinerated. Instead there was the swish of cloth and the familiar shout of "Rend, Tengetsu!" Renji snapped his eyes open and saw Sachi land in front of him and raise her sword as the cero collided against it.

Renji was nearly blown over by the wind created from the clashing reiatsus. Sachi strained against the cero, the sphere of her reiatsu that surrounded her growing and shrinking from the effort. Finally Sachi seemed to find the breaking point and with yell began pushing against the cero as hard as she could.

Abruptly her reiatsu overpowered the cero, its energy being absorbed by her own as it exploded outwards. Sachi's reiatsu pulsed away from her, and like a hot knife through butter it cut a long slash down and across the Menos Grande's body. The Menos stumbled backwards roaring in pain.

Sachi leapt forward, reiatsu gathering around her blade. Renji could only watch open-mouthed as Sachi's reiatsu swirled around her zanpakuto. Every time she used the attack it got exponentially more powerful. Sachi released the energy from around her blade straight in the Menos Grande's mask. It didn't so much cut as crack, but the cracks quickly expanded outwards and with a final agonized roar the Menos Grande's mask disintegrated and it dissolved.

As Sachi touched down again on the roof her zanpakuto resealed itself and she sheathed it. She doesn't even look tired, Renji thought grumpily, as he pulled himself to his feet. Sachi jogged over to him, with enough concern in her eyes to make a little bubble of happiness form in Renji's chest.

"Are you ok?" Sachi asked, barely able to keep the waver out her voice. Her blood had run cold when she had seen Renji about to get obliterated by that giant Hollow's attack. She had been so worried and angry and panicked and desperate that she hadn't even taken the time to be afraid of it. Sachi twisted her fingers into the pant legs of her shihakusho to keep them from shaking. She was _so_ relieved that she had made it in time.

As she got closer Renji realized that Sachi had fear in her eyes…fear for him. He squashed the feelings that her look generated. They could make up later, but right now he needed to get her out of here before Ikkaku and Yumichika showed up.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Renji shouted, letting his frustration show.

Sachi paused, taken aback. "What do you-!"

"Get of here! Go back to school now!"

Sachi blinked at him several times clearly confused and surprised. Renji didn't miss the hurt that flashed through her eyes either and it made his heart twist uncomfortably in his chest. Sachi recovered quickly, however, and squared her shoulders and set her jaw defiantly, but before she could open her mouth to argue back a new voice interrupted them.

"Well, well, well. That was an interesting show."

"Shit," Renji hissed, whipping around to see Ikkaku and Yumichika land behind him. Both of their expressions were cold.

"Nothing to hide, you say?" Yumichika asked silkily.

"This isn't what it looks like," Renji responded quickly, taking a few steps back towards Sachi.

"Then what is it, exactly?" Ikkaku asked taking a step forwards.

Sachi watched, puzzled by the confrontation. The hostility between Renji and the other two Soul Reapers was so thick that you could cut it. She felt she should be afraid. And yet…there was something familiar about those two Soul Reapers. "Oh!" Sachi exclaimed suddenly, snapping her fingers. "I know who you two are!"

"Huh?" The tension dissolved completely as Ikkaku and Yumichika stared towards Sachi, bewildered.

"You're Ikkaku," Sachi said pointing towards him. "And you're Yumichika!"

Renji let out an exasperated sigh and Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged perplexed glances. "And who they hell are you?" Ikkaku bristled, turning to Sachi. "How do you know our names?"

"Well…I'm…" Sachi looked to Renji, wondering how much she should say. Renji nodded, his expression resigned. "I'm Sachi Kurosaki," Sachi said, bowing to them. "Nice to meet you."

Ikkaku and Yumichika were quiet for a moment. "So, what, you're related to Ichigo or something?" Ikkaku asked.

"I'm his daughter," Sachi said, smiling at them even though she suddenly felt terribly awkward.

". . ." They were quiet for a beat and then, "_WHAT?_" Ikkaku gaped open-mouthed at Sachi.

Beside him Yumichika nodded sagely. "Yes, I thought so. It makes perfect sense," he murmured.

"You _knew_? How could you know?" Ikkaku shouted, turning to Yumichika.

"Isn't it obvious Ikkaku?"

"Huh?" Ikkaku turned to stare at Sachi again while Yumichika shook his head. Renji couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Seriously? Sachi tugged at her bangs self-consciously.

"Whatever! It doesn't matter! The results are still the same," Ikkaku groused, stepping forward with a hand on the hilt of his zanpakuto. The mood changed abruptly again. Renji stepped protectively in front of Sachi, drawing his own blade.

"Out of the way, Renji," Ikkaku ordered. Yumichika stepped up next to him.

"No." Renji's voice was calm, but firm.

"I said get of the way damn it!"

Sachi wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but it was pretty clear that Renji was trying to protect her from the other two and was risking himself in the process. "Renji, don't," Sachi protested softly.

Renji ignored her. "If Soul Society wants to punish me, fine. But this isn't Sachi's fault. All of this happened because I made a mistake and I'm not going to let her get hurt because of it!"

"Damn it Renji!" Ikkaku shouted, finally unsheathing his zanpakuto. Before he could charge, however, Yumichika held out a hand to stop him. Ikkaku shot him a glare, but didn't move.

"I'm guessing that what happened was similar to what happened with Ichigo and the Kuchiki princess?" Yumichika asked.

"Pretty much identical," Renji admitted grudgingly.

There was a long, tense moment of silence until Ikkaku suddenly turned away shouting, "Oh screw this! I've had enough of this shit!"

"I quite agree. This entire situation is entirely ugly," Yumichika added, flipping his hair to one side.

Sachi blinked, completely confused. What had just happened? Renji straightened and sheathed his sword, sighing in relief. "Go ahead and go back to school," he told Sachi glancing over his shoulder at her.

"But Renji-!"

"I promise I'll explain everything later ok?"

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" Sachi asked Renji quietly, her eyes drifting towards Yumichika and Ikkaku.

Renji gave her a soft smile that made her heart flutter for reasons she didn't really understand. "I promise I will be."

Sachi fought down her blush and gave him a searching look, but shrugged. "Ok," she agreed turning away reluctantly and taking off in the direction of the school.

Renji turned back to where Ikkaku was opening the Senkaimon. "I take it you guys won't say anything?" Renji asked.

"Yea, we won't say anything," Ikkaku agreed grumpily, turning back around. "But you better get back to Soul Society soon or all our asses will be in trouble."

"I'm working on it…" Renji grumbled.

"You really love that girl don't you?" Yumichika asked suddenly.

Renji looked up, surprised, to see both Yumichika and Ikkaku watching him closely. "I guess I do," Renji admitted, reaching a hand back to scratch his neck.

"Well if you ask me it's a good thing," Ikkaku declared loudly. "It's about time you stopped pining over that Kuchiki chick." Yumichika nodded in agreement.

They both turned to go. "Hold on a sec," Renji called after them as a thought struck him. They both paused. "Who sent you guys anyway?"

"Hinamori-taicho was the one who suggested that we be sent if that's what you mean," Yumichika answered before disappearing into the Senkaimon.

"You should consider yourself lucky too," Ikkaku added. "If it'd been anyone else that girl would be dead and you'd be headed to jail for life. See ya, Renji." With that parting comment Ikkaku disappeared too.

Renji watched the Senkaimon close. Yes, it _had_ been lucky that it was Ikkaku and Yumichika who were sent to check on him. Especially with three Menos Grande showing up at the same time. Renji definitely had a lot to think about.

**Author's Note:**

_Yay Chapter 13! This one was pretty fun to write actually, mainly because of Ikkaku and Yumichika. There were some other Soul Reapers I considered using for this chapter (mainly Rangiku), but I felt like they fit the best. Besides Rukia they're the only two non-Captain characters that have spent a lot of time around, Ichigo, Renji, and in the real world. Also their interaction has always amused me. And if you're wondering why Yumichika was able to read what was happening so well it's because between the two of them he's the one with the brains :)_

_I feel like I should clarify why Renji couldn't handle a Menos Grande on his own. There are two reasons. The first is that he hasn't gotten all of his power back yet and while I don't think Renji ever fights Menos in the manga, when they're in the Menos Forest in the anime he uses bankai to take them out. The second is that because Renji is a Lieutenant he automatically has part of his reiatsu sealed when he goes to the real world, so he didn't have access to all his power in the first place and since he still hasn't recovered all of it yet he's even weaker._

_So I got TEN reviews since the last chapter! TEN! That's a new record for the number of reviews for this story. And I now have over 50 reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you to everyone who has ever reviewed this story and thank you to the wonderful people who reviewed since the last chapter: Dovie-Chan, Sora'struelover, Red6, Zororenjilover, Luafua, fearlessX1025, bleach fan no 1, Black Cat Angel, and bored411. THANK YOU!_

_**READ THIS PART**__: So I start the other training program that I mentioned a few chapters ago next week and I don't know how much free time I'm going to have during it. I just want to warn everyone that if I don't update for a while it's because of that. I'll still try to update though!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 14: The Final Step**

Sachi had hoped that Yuzuki would forget all about interrogating her about her weekend, but she was wrong. The next day both Yuzuki and Mao cornered her in the locker room before PE class.

"Spill."

Sachi, who had just barely gotten her locker open, looked up at Yuzuki, confused. "Huh?"

"I said, spill it!" Yuzuki commanded with a glint in her eye that bordered on maniacal.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about…" Sachi stammered, feeling rather afraid.

"She means about what happened this weekend," Mao supplied dreamily. "Something happened between you and Renji right?"

Sachi, suddenly understanding, hurriedly looked away as she tried to control her blush. "Nothing happened," Sachi said, trying as hard as she could to sound convincing. "We didn't even see each other."

Mao's face fell in disappointment, but Yuzuki stared hard at Sachi, her eyes narrowing. "You're lying."

"I am not!" Sachi responded crossly, slamming her locker shut.

Yuzuki huffed in defiance, but gave up and fell back against the lockers.

"Awwww," Mao whined softly.

"You do like him though right?" Yuzuki asked, defeated, but still searching for something juicy.

Sachi's face turned bright red and she suddenly looked away, refusing to make eye contact with her friends. Then her blush faded a bit as she seemed to lose herself in thought. "I'm…not sure…"

Yuzuki and Mao exchanged excited glances and then they both squealed. "I knew it!" Yuzuki exclaimed triumphantly.

"Oh you two are so cute…" Mao swooned.

Sachi was completely taken aback. "H-hold on second!" Sachi stammered. "I didn't actually say anything!"

"Oh just admit it already," Yuzuki replied, throwing her arm around Sachi's shoulders and whispering to her in a manner that was probably supposed to be conspiratorial. "You. Love. Renji."

"I didn't say that!" Sachi all but screamed, her face turning a violent shade of pink.

"Let's go ladies! You're going to be late for class!" Their teacher's voiced echoed through the locker room.

"Come on! You get to go see Renji!" Yuzuki grabbed Sachi's hand and dragged her forward while Mao followed after them squealing in delight.

Sachi sputtered protests the whole way, but Yuzuki's and Mao's berating only made her consider her own feelings more. There was no doubt that she liked Renji a lot. He had become her best friend without her even noticing. But was she in love with him? Sachi had never been in love before so she honestly wasn't sure. But she had definitely realized that past weekend that her feelings for Renji had grown past what would be appropriate for just a friendship.

Sachi wasn't the only one getting interrogated that day. Renji had just finished hanging up his school uniform in his locker before PE when someone else suddenly slammed the locker shut. Renji's eye twitched in annoyance. The idiot had nearly taken his fingers off with that move.

Renji glanced to the side to see Akio standing there, a belligerent look on his face. Kenta stood behind him and offered Renji a smile and a friendly little wave. This could not be good, Renji thought, frowning.

"Can I help you?" Renji asked sounding bored.

"Yea," Akio growled in reply. "We've got something to ask you. What're your intentions with Sachi?"

"My intentions with Sachi?" Renji asked skeptically.

"Yea. You're into her right?"

Renji schooled his expression into careful neutrality. "I fail to see how that's any of your business."

"It is our business," Akio answered aggressively, stepping up so that his nose was inches from Renji's though Renji was still quite a bit taller than him. "Sachi is our friend and if you hurt her you're going to pay for it."

Renji's eyes narrowed at the obvious threat. He leaned down over Akio until the other man was forced to take a step back. "I would _never_ hurt her," Renji answered, his voice dangerously low.

Akio held Renji's gaze for a moment longer, before quickly turning away. "Good," he spat over his shoulder as he strode away, clearly not pleased about coming out as the loser in their intimidation contest.

Renji snorted derisively. Stupid human boys.

Kenta laughed awkwardly, reminding Renji that he was still there. "Sorry about that. Akio likes to act like the tough guy sometimes."

"I've noticed," Renji grumbled.

"I do agree with what he said though." Renji blinked at him in surprise. "Look I'm sure you're a good guy," Kenta said reassuringly, clapping a hand on Renji's shoulder. He then leaned in and his voice lowered dangerously. "But if you do something that does end up hurting Sachi you will be very, _very _sorry."

Kenta then laughed and clapped Renji on the shoulder again. "We should probably get going!" he called as he walked off. "We don't want to be late for class!"

Renji stared after Kenta dumbfounded. An involuntary chill ran up his spine as he thought about what had just happened. Kenta could be one scary dude when he wanted to.

…

The girls were supposed to be running on the track. But since the boys were setting up to have a baseball game that wasn't going to happen. Baseball was a big thing at Sachi's high school and none of the girls wanted to miss seeing the their newest up and coming pitcher up close.

Akio was milking it for all it was worth too, as he stretched and warmed up on the mound. While Mao talked animatedly about Akio with some other girls from their class Sachi, Yuzuki, Kenta, and Renji waited for the action to start.

"You're not going to play?" Yuzuki asked Kenta.

"Nah," he replied nonchalantly. "Not really my thing."

"And what about you?" Yuzuki asked, turning to Renji.

Renji looked away, reaching a hand up to scratch the back of his head as Sachi looked on nervously. "Uh…well…I don't know how to play."

Yuzuki and Kenta blinked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"Yea," Renji admitted, trying to smile convincingly. "It's not really that a big of a deal where I come from." And so it wasn't. In fact all that Renji knew about baseball was that it was a human game that had something to do with hitting a ball with a funny looking wooden stick.

"Oh look! They're starting!" Sachi exclaimed suddenly, trying to distract her friends. It worked and Yuzuki and Kenta looked away without further comment. Renji threw Sachi a grateful look, which she returned with a smile.

The baseball game began. The boys were all playing their hardest, trying to impress the watching girls. The girls chatted and gossiped, throwing flirtatious glances towards the guys they favored. Renji was enjoying watching despite the fact that he had no idea what was going on.

The teams switched positions and Akio walked out onto the pitcher's mounds to the sound of cheers. Suddenly he turned towards Renji and motioned for him to step forward. Renji frowned. What was this about?

Akio smirked. "What's the matter Abarai? You chicken?"

Renji's eyebrow twitched violently. He had just about enough of Akio's macho posturing for one day. Squaring his shoulders and putting on a scowl that was meant to intimidate, Renji stepped forward.

"Go Renji!" Yuzuki cheered gleefully behind him.

Sachi, dismayed, followed Renji and caught his sleeve. He half-turned and raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "I thought you didn't know how to play baseball!"

Renji shrugged. "If I can swing a sword I can swing that stupid stick."

Sachi sighed. "It's called a bat. And Akio's just trying to get under your skin you know," she added in undertone.

"I know," Renji grumbled back. "But it's about time that someone knocked him down a peg or two."

Sachi couldn't disagree with that in all fairness. Akio's displays of masculine dominance were infamous in her year and everyone was pretty much sick of them. It'd probably be good for Akio to learn that he wasn't the only one who could act like an alpha male. So, with a slightly exasperated sigh, she released Renji's sleeve.

Renji walked over to the home plate and accepted the sti…bat from one of his classmates. He was certain this would be easy. Renji had seen enough of the game to realize that all he needed to do was hit the ball with the bat and then run around the bases. He took up his position in preparation to hit.

The jeering began almost immediately as Renji held the bat low and out in front of him instead of high and behind his head. "This isn't kendo you know!" someone snickered loudly. Renji ignored the hecklers.

Akio, who had been smirking wide enough to rival Ichihara, became focused as he started his wind up. Renji tensed slightly as Akio drew back his arm and threw. The pitch was fast, Renji would readily admit, but it wasn't anything that he couldn't handle. Using reflexes honed by decades of training and fighting Renji swung the bat as hard as he could. There was a deafening crack as ball and bat collided and then the ball went soaring away, over the fence of the field towards the school.

Everyone was completely silent for a long moment and then they erupted in wild cheers. His classmates, all yelling and screaming about how far he had hit the ball suddenly surrounded Renji. Looking over the crowd Renji spotted Akio on the pitcher's mound looking extremely bad-tempered. He then looked around and caught Sachi's eye where she stood a bit away from the mob surrounding him. She gave him a big, genuine smile and a thumbs up. Pride swelled in Renji's chest.

The impromptu celebration was suddenly interrupted by very loud, very angry shouting. "You! You all! Who hit this ball?" From around the corner of the field appeared Fujaikara-sensei, the English teacher. He had a hand pressed against the side of his head where a growing bump was apparent even from a distance. He brandished the baseball that Renji had just hit as he shouted. "Tell me who did this!"

All of Renji's classmates hurriedly stepped away from him, leaving him to face the teacher's wrath alone. Fujaikara-sensei stalked forward while Renji lamely tried to hide the bat behind his back.

"Did you hit this ball?" Fujaikara-sensei breathed heavily through his nose at Renji, thrusting the offending item to within an inch of Renji's face.

"…Yes sensei," Renji admitted guiltily.

Fujaikara's face turned purple with rage. "Detention Abarai! After school!" He then turned and stalked away.

Renji stuck a finger in his ear, wincing at how loud the teacher's last scream had been. Detention? Great. What an awesome week he was having.

…

"Here."

Sachi blinked in surprise as Renji held his soul pager out to her. Hesitantly she took it. "How come you're giving this to me?"

"I can't leave my detention right? So it's up to you to take care of any Hollows that show up."

"Oh…ok!" Sachi beamed up at Renji. His scowl didn't budge. Not even Sachi's smile could make his predicament seem less ridiculous right now.

"Don't worry so much about it," she added consolingly. "It's just for one afternoon."

"I guess…" Renji replied sourly. He then turned and slouched in Fujaikara's classroom to serve his detention.

Sachi couldn't suppress her giggle as he shut the door behind him. After everything he had been through since he had come to the real world he was getting depressed by one detention. Sachi headed off towards the stairs, intending to meet up with her friends and walk home, but she had only just opened the door to the stairwell when the soul pager in her hand began to beep.

She flipped it open and after a bit of fussing managed to bring the orders up onto the screen. Sachi sighed regretfully. She was really looking forward to just going home and relaxing for the afternoon while she had the chance. But duty was calling. Sachi pulled her gikongan from her pocket and took off towards where the Hollow was.

…

Sachi landed near the train station and looked around. Confused, she pulled the soul pager from her pocket and double-checked her orders. The Hollow was definitely supposed to be here, but she didn't see one anywhere. Frowning in thought she put the soul pager away again. She jumped down from her perch on a light post and alighted among the throng of people moving in and out of the train station.

She wasn't sure what else to do so she might as well go and look for the Hollow, she decided. Not that she should have needed to. It's not like any of the Hollows she had seen so far were particularly sneaky. It was usually hard to miss a colossal, soul-eating monster.

Suddenly a voice was whispering in Sachi's ear. "Oh, now this is interesting. You're a Soul Reaper right?"

Sachi flinched violently, startled, and whipped around searching for the source of the voice. Even though she turned completely around she didn't see anyone besides the people who passed by, completely unaware of her existence. A laugh that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once echoed around her. Sachi spun again looking for its source.

"Ha ha! You look so silly spinning in circles like that!" the voice exclaimed delightedly from behind her. Sachi turned again to see nothing.

"Stop messing with me!" Sachi shouted angrily, fighting the chills that threatened to run all across her skin. She reached back and grabbed Tengetsu's hilt and ripped her from her sheathe both to defend herself and lend herself some comfort.

"Well if you're going to get serious I guess I better get serious too."

Sachi turned around a final time and was confronted with her tormenter. A being- she wasn't sure what to call him- stood before her. He wore white hakamas and a long white jacket that fit tightly along his torso and then flared to his knees. He wasn't particularly tall and his build was lithe. His hair was a violent shade of purple and fell messily around his ears and into his face. His eyes were bright red. A yellow lighting-bolt shape traced its way downwards from his hairline over his right eye. He wore a sword that looked suspiciously like a zanpakuto on his hip.

But those parts of his appearance were not what made Sachi's breath catch in her throat as apprehension slowly awakened in her gut. First there was the strange white object that covered the left side of his jaw and cheek all the way up to his temple. Sachi wasn't sure what it was, but there was something about it that reminded her of a Hollow's mask. And then…then there was the hole went straight through the middle of his neck. It wasn't very large, but she could see the street behind him through it.

Sachi took an involuntary step backwards as he smirked at her. There was definitely something weird about this guy. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as her eyes again traveled over the white shape on his face and the hole in his neck.

"Who are you?" Sachi was amazed that she managed to keep her voice steady. Every instinct in her was screaming that this guy was dangerous.

"I am Wolta Kasfke or Arrancar number 63, at your service." He then performed and elaborate, mocking bow. When he straightened again there was an insidious glint in his eye.

Sachi gazed at the strange man, perplexed. "What's an Arrancar?" she asked guardedly.

Wolta's face mockingly fell, like her words had hurt him. "You don't know? You wound me, Soul Reaper. But I wonder…" The glint returned to his eye. "What kind of Soul Reaper doesn't know what an Arrancar is?"

Sachi did her best not to be offended by his words. She certainly wasn't an actual Soul Reaper- she was only a substitute after all- but there's something about the way he had said it that rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't answer except to glare at him.

Wolta's mouthed curled into a smile of smug superiority. "I guess you really don't know. Very well, I will correct your ignorance. An Arrancar is a Hollow that has been giving the powers of a Soul Reaper by Azien-sama. We are superior to you fools in every conceivable way!" Wolta then threw back his head and laughed, his laughter quickly taking on a maniacal edge.

Sachi's eyes narrowed. The name Aizen rang a bell, but she didn't have the time to think about. She also disregarded the part about getting Soul Reaper powers. All that was really important was that the bastard was a Hollow. And there was only one thing that she needed to do.

Wolta's laughter came to an abrupt end as he dodged Sachi's swing by a hair's breadth. He ducked underneath her sword and rolled away, coming up and spinning around with a vicious look on his face.

"I don't know much about most of what you were talking about, but if you're a Hollow then I already know what I need to do," Sachi said coldly, straightening up and resting her zanpakuto on her shoulder.

Wolta's ugly expression suddenly morphed into an equally ugly smile. "What an interesting way to put it Soul Reaper. I suppose there's no more point in us exchanging words now." He then flashed forward at an unbelievable speed. Sachi barely got Tengetsu up in time to guard as he attacked her with his bare hands.

Sachi swung, hard, and pushed Wolta back. He immediately leapt forward again, attacking in a flurry of punches and kicks. Sachi did her best to keep up, but it was all she could do to block him. "What's a matter Soul Reaper?" Wolta cackled. "Is this best you can do?"

Anger suddenly coursed through Sachi. Her head felt hot and her vision sharpened. "Shut up you bastard!" she shouted at him. Suddenly she was the one pushing Wolta back with a flurry of strikes that he was barely able to block. Wolta was taking yet another step back when his heel caught on something and he began to fall. With a yell of triumph Sachi attacked, swinging with all her strength. There was the crashing sound of steel against steel as Wolta was forced to draw his own sword in order to block Sachi's attack. Sachi grinned nastily as she leaned against her zanpaktuo keeping the pressure on the Arrancar. Wolta glared back at her, his lip curled in pure hatred.

This time it was Wolta who had to struggle to push Sachi away. He managed it eventually and then they stood facing each other, both tense and on guard. "I think I've had enough of you Soul Reaper," Wolta said. Any hint of levity in his voice was gone, replaced by cold anger and hate.

"That's funny. I feel the same," Sachi replied, her voice hard. They both stood there for a moment longer, sizing each other up, and then leapt forward again to attack.

Their fight was a blur after that as the exchanged sword blows. They were relatively equal, but it soon seemed that Wolta as tiring as his attacks and reaction time slowed. Sachi was finding it easier and easier to force him back until, finally, Wolta deflected her attack with a ferocious swing and leapt out of range. He stood back, panting, as Sachi resumed a guard stance.

Sachi couldn't help herself and she began to grin cockily. Wolta glared hatefully back at her. "You're feeling pretty confident aren't you Soul Reaper," he spat. Sachi's only response was to smile wider. Wolta's expression intensified and then he abruptly calmed. He stood straight up and drew in a deep breath. When he released it his lips curled into their own cruel grin. "Very well. I suppose I'll just have to show you my true power."

Sachi's smile faltered a bit. What was he talking about?

Wolta held his sword straight up in the air. "Strike, Relámpago!"

Sachi gasped as Wolta's reiatsu exploded. This felt kind of like a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto release… How was this even possible? The dust and wind from the release calmed and Sachi gasped again as she got a look at Wolta. His appearance had changed. The white object on his face had expanded, covering the right side of his face as well as his left and it extended all the way down his neck now as well, excluding the hole. The same substance had appeared on his arms and covered them from fingertip to shoulder. The lighting bolt-shaped mark on his face had extended down to his jaw and there was also one over his left eye. His sword has disappeared.

Wolta began to laugh again as he caught sight of Sachi's expression. "What's wrong Soul Reaper? You looked confused!" Sachi didn't respond, just simply continuing to stare at him mutely with fear in her eyes. "This is my Resurrección Relámpago. This is what happens when an Arrancar releases their zanpakuto! We regain the powers we had in our Hollow forms. There's no way you'll be able to stand against me now!"

Sachi involuntary took a step back. Wolta's new form was truly impressive. The reiatsu coming from him was enough to make Sachi's knees began to shake. Wolta's leering grin widened and suddenly he disappeared. Before Sachi got the chance to really register this fact he reappeared directly in front of her. His fist collided with Sachi's stomach and suddenly she was flying backwards. She collided with a retaining wall and fell backwards as the wall collapsed.

Sachi lay still for a moment completely caught off guard by the pain radiating from her stomach. With effort she managed to pull herself into a sitting position. She coughed and tasted blood. She was just beginning to stand again when she froze, Wolta's presence suddenly looming over her.

"Are you impressed yet Soul Reaper?" he asked her eagerly. "I'm many times stronger and faster now than I was before. And that's not even the best part!" A sudden dread filled Sachi and she looked up to see Wolta extend his hand until it was directly above her, his thumb and middle finger pressed together. "Resurrección also gives us extra powers, much like your shikai release does. Do you want to see what mine is?" Wolta's grin widened into an insane mockery of a smile and then he snapped.

Agony ripped through Sachi as electricity shocked every nerve in her body. It was as though she had been struck by lightning. She was probably screaming, but the only thing that Sachi could think about was the pain. As abruptly as it had begun the shock stopped, leaving Sachi lying panting on the ground.

Wolta was laughing again. "You stupid Soul Reaper!" he cried, bringing his other hand up. He began to snap repeatedly sending thousands of volts racing through Sachi's body. She writhed and shook as her muscles spasmed, screaming the entire time.

Finally Wolta stopped. Sachi lay still. "Had enough yet?" he asked wickedly, prodding Sachi's body with his toe. "I suppose you have. Too bad you died so easily. I was having fun." Wolta almost sounded disappointed. But he simply shrugged and walked away, intending to go see what other prey he could find to play with.

Abruptly reiatsu exploded behind him, whipping his hair and clothing wildly. Eyes wide with surprise Wolta turned around to see the Soul Reaper slowly rising to her feet.

"Rend, Tengetsu!"

…

Renji resisted the urge to sigh as he stared out the window. What was the point of this stupid thing called detention anyways? All he had done for the past half hour was sit at a desk. It wasn't even for a teacher that he respected. Of all the classes that Renji was taking in the human school the class to learn a foreign human language seemed the most pointless. When was he ever actually going to need to speak English?

The feeling of reiatsu suddenly exploding instantly shook Renji out of his stupor of boredom. This reiatsu…he didn't recognize per se, but he instantly recognized what kind of reiatsu it was. An Arrancar. Renji was stunned with disbelief. There was an Arrancar? Here? How ? What the hell was going on?

Without really realizing he was doing it Renji stood and headed towards the door. Sachi couldn't handle this on her own. She was strong, but she wasn't yet ready to face an enemy of this caliber. Renji was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice when Fujaikara-sensei stepped in front of him. Renji stopped just short of running into him.

"Where are you going Abarai?" the teacher snarled.

"I'm sorry, sir," Renji replied icily. "But there's somewhere I need to be."

Renji made to step around Fujaikara, but the teacher roughly grabbed Renji's shoulder and pushed him back. "You're not going anywhere!"

Renji had to bite his tongue to stop himself from cursing at the man. He didn't have time for this! As he stood there debating how physical he was going to have to get with Fujaikara another voice interrupted them.

"Yoo hoo! I hope I'm not interrupting something."

"Ichihara," Fujaikara breathed heavily. The dark-haired, grinning man had his head stuck through the door. "What do you want?"

"I just need a word with Abarai that's all!"

"Absolutely not! He's currently serving his detention with me."

Renji frowned as Ichihara's grin widened. What the hell was he up to?

"I'm perfectly aware of that," Ichihara replied pleasantly. "In fact I think he deserves more than one afternoon's detention!" Renji suddenly had the urge to throttle him for that comment.

Fujaikara, however, seemed slightly mollified. "Alright fine," he huffed. "But it better be quick."

Ichihara stepped out of the doorway, but beckoned to Renji with a hand. Renji stepped out into the hallway with him feeling surly. Ichihara closed the classroom door behind Renji and they both stood there for a moment staring at each other.

"Well what're you waiting for?" Ichihara finally asked.

Renji blinked, confused. "Huh?"

"I got you out of there so you could go help Kurosaki. She can't handle whatever that is on her own I'm quite sure."

Renji was a bit startled. Ichihara had gotten him out of there to help him? "Why didn't you just go help her yourself?" Renji blurted out.

Ichihara shook his head and his normal smile fell a bit. "This is something that I can't handle, otherwise I would. I suggest you hurry though. Things seem to be going badly."

Renji cast his senses outward and found that Ichihara was right. An unfamiliar feeling of panic rose in Renji's chest as he felt the desperation with which Sachi fought. He needed to go. _Now_. Renji muttered a quick thanks before turning away from Ichihara and sprinting down the hallway. Ichihara smiled benignly at Renji's back as he disappeared around the corner.

…

Sachi had to fight to stay standing as both she and Wolta attempted to catch their breaths. After she had released her zanpakuto their fight had quickly turned vicious and now they were both bloodied and badly beaten. It was clear, however, that Sachi was losing. She was more tired than Wolta and she was certain that it was only a matter of time before she made a fatal mistake.

Sachi mentally shook herself. She couldn't think like that. She could win! She had to win! Sachi straightened and set herself as firmly as she could. She would _not _give up.

Wolta's mocking joviality had long disappeared and as Sachi took her stance he did the same. Fighting this Soul Reaper was no longer fun, he decided. It was time to end it.

Suddenly Wolta blurred, moving forwards at an incredible speed. Sachi twisted, somehow following his movement as he raced behind her. As she turned she gathered reiatsu around Tengetsu's blade in the technique that was quickly become her go to move. She could feel it as Wolta changed direction moving towards her now. With a yell she released the energy gathered around her zanpakuto. And that was her mistake.

With a gloating smirk Wolta, abruptly changed direction in a burst of speed far beyond what he had so far displayed and dodged Sachi's attack. Sachi gasped as Wolta appeared before her out of nowhere. He drew back his leg and kicked her. She flew backwards, unable to slow her momentum because of the power of the kick, and eventually collided with a building. The wall collapsed behind her, leaving her lying in rubble.

Sachi tried to draw in a breath and pain tore through her chest. A few of her ribs were probably broken. The crunching sound of footsteps drew Sachi's attention upwards. Wolta stood over her, both hands extended and ready to snap.

There was an insane light in Wolta's eyes as he looked down at her. "I'm afraid this is the end for you Soul Reaper!"

Sachi watched numbly as the muscles in his arms and hands tensed in the beginning of his simultaneous snaps. This really was the end. She was going to die. And as numb as this thought made her mind she still felt angry. Enraged in fact. But she was strangely detached from it and therefore couldn't use it to her advantage. All she could do was lay there, her body beaten and broken. It frustrated her.

Suddenly Wolta's eyes widened in surprise and he began to fall sideways. The reason quickly became obvious as blood spattered Sachi's face. The silver and black blade of a Soul Reaper's released zanpakuto was embedded in Wolta's side. The zanpakuto tore the rest of its way through and began to retract, Wolta leaping away as another figure landed in front of Sachi. With that particular shade of brilliant red hair it could only be one person. Renji. Sachi had never been so happy to see someone in her entire life. "Renji!" she managed to gasp.

Fury unlike anything he had felt before rushed through Renji's veins as he glanced back over his shoulder at Sachi. She was bloody and bruised, her face contorted in pain as she struggled to sit up. Renji turned angry eyes back to the Arrancar in front of him. _He_ had done this. Damn Arrancar! And here he was, certain that he was never going to have to deal with one of these bastards again.

"Don't worry Sachi…" Sachi started as Renji said her name. His voice sounded strangely calm. An odd feeling of expectation filled her. "I'll take of care of this vermin."

"Vermin?" Wolta hissed angrily, holding his side in a vain attempt to stem the bleeding. "Who are you to call me vermin?"

"I'm the fukutaicho of Squad 6 of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, Renji Abarai. And I _will_ kill you."

Something that looked suspiciously like fear flickered briefly through Wolta's eyes. Then he threw back his head and laughed manically, his hands in the air. "You stupid bastard! You can't do anything to me! You don't have the power!" Renji's eyes narrowed at that comment as Wolta's laughter abruptly abated. "I'm Arrancar 63 Wolta Kasfke. And we'll see about who's killing who," he sneered.

Wolta raised his right hand and snapped. Renji dodged the lighting it created by a hair's breadth and charged, swinging Zabimaru forward. Wolta leapt away and began to snap in rapid fire forcing Renji to evade rather than attack.

It was quickly apparent to Renji why Sachi had had so much trouble with the bastard. Even he was having a hard time in his current condition. Renji's preoccupation with figuring out what to do became a problem as Wolta suddenly appeared behind him and snapped. Pain raced through Renji's body along with the electricity and he collapsed, twitching. Wolta howled with laughter.

As Renji pushed himself to his feet he realized that he really only had one option to take out an Arrancar. But would he be able to do it? He had been trying ever since he had reacquired the ability to achieve shikai, but he hadn't been able to yet. Renji glanced over to where Sachi lay. She had managed to prop herself up, but her lips were still tight with pain. And her eyes…they held that same fear for him that he had seen before when she had saved him from the Menos Grande. That's what decided it for him. He couldn't let her worry so much about him.

Renji closed his eyes and began to carefully gather his reiatsu around him. Wolta stopped laughing as he realized what was happening. "What the hell are you doing you stupid Soul Reaper?" he spat, stepping forward, unable to keep the alarm out his voice.

The reiatsu around Renji only increased until he looked he was glowing with it. Suddenly Renji's eyes snapped open and the energy around him skyrocketed. "Bankai!"

Red reiatsu literally exploded from Renji. Sachi hurriedly raised her arm against the fierce wind it created, her senses completely overwhelmed by its power. When the light and wind had died down Sachi slowly lowered her arm and was stunned by what she saw. Renji still stood before her, but his zanpakuto had changed. It now resembled a giant, skeletal snake with a red mane behind its head. Renji also now wore what seemed like a small fur cape that extended all the way down his right arm. An ape's skull adorned his left shoulder.

"Hihio Zabimaru," Renji said, his voice confident. Sachi was in awe. Renji had explained what bankai was, but she had never imagined it would be like this. It was without a doubt visually impressive and the power emanating from it was…incredible. Hope and a sense of peace filled Sachi as Renji's reiatsu washed over her.

Wolta now wore an expression of true fear. He stumbled backwards a couple steps, his eyes wide. "What the hell is that? You can't do that! "You're not supposed to be able to do that!"

In response Renji raised his arm. The massive his snake that was his zanpakuto responded in kind, rising off the ground and flying forwards. Wolta turned and ran, desperate to escape, but Renji's bankai was on him before he could go more than a couple of steps. Wolta screamed in terror as he was caught in Hihio Zabimaru's jaws. Renji's zanpakuto began to angle upwards towards the sky and the red light of reiatsu gathered in its mouth alongside Wolta.

Renji flicked his arm again and the reiatsu exploded outward in a massive blast. "Hikotsu Taiho!" There was final shriek from Wolta as he disintegrated inside the explosion.

Suddenly all the sections of Hihio Zabimaru broke apart and began to fall. They disappeared before they hit the ground, Zabimaru resealing itself as Renji's reiatsu spent itself. Renji swayed a bit as he sheathed his zanpakuto. He had really done it. He had finally used his bankai. He knew he should have been elated, but Renji was really just exhausted. But he couldn't pass out just yet. He made his way over to Sachi.

Sachi didn't know what to say to Renji as he came over to her and half fell, half dropped to his knees. He had just saved her life in a massive display of power. And he looked totally exhausted. "That was amazing," she told him quietly, at a loss for anything else to say.

Renji couldn't help but smile at that. "Thanks," he told her sincerely. "How're you feeling?"

Sachi winced as she shifted. "I've been better."

"I can take care of that." Renji reached out, his hands already glowing a faint green.

Sachi caught his wrists. "Should you really be doing that?" she asked concerned.

Renji frowned. "I can handle it," he told her defensively. Reluctantly Sachi released his wrists. She was definitely grateful when her breathing eased as his hands hovered over her torso.

Suddenly he swayed again and began to collapse. Sachi caught him and let a small 'oof' as he landed against her half healed chest. "Are you ok?" Sachi asked, her voice rising with worry.

"I'm okay…really…" Renji panted. He really shouldn't have done that. But Sachi was still hurt…she needed to be healed. And yet he couldn't find the will power to sit back and continue when he was so comfortable leaning against her

"I don't think you should be doing this. Besides, I thought you weren't very good at kido anyways…"

"I've had lots of practice recently," Renji replied wryly.

"Well I suppose that's true," Sachi admitted a bit sheepishly. She did have a tendency to take risks when she was fighting that ended up with her getting hurt.

Sachi looked down at where Renji's head lay against her chest. He was always coming to her rescue. He had done so much for her since he had come into her life. It wasn't fair for her to ask anymore of him now. With a sudden impulsiveness Sachi wrapped her arms around Renji. Her heart pounded in her chest as a strange warmth reached all the way through her body, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

"It's ok, Renji," she told him softly. "I'll heal on my own. You don't have to push yourself for me."

Renji mumbled a quiet acquiescence and then returned her embrace with a contented sigh.

It was then that Sachi realized that she never wanted to let him go.

**Author's Note:**

_So I'm pretty sure I set a new record for length with this chapter for this story. Crazy huh? But it's ok because this chapter is awesome! Or I think so anyways. Also the word document for this story is now over 100 pages. That's just insane to me. I can't believe how much I've written for this!_

_So I'm pretty sure I'll be able to keep updating during my training/class/thing. It'll probably just be more like every other week rather than every week like it has been. I still make no promises though. This has only been the first week and we haven't been assigned any outside work yet so I'll just have to see._

_Eight reviews! Not as awesome as ten, but I'm still happy with it! I'm glad everyone enjoyed Ikkaku's and Yumichika's appearances last chapter. Anyways THANK YOU to Sora'struelover, Red6, KuroOkamii77, Luafua, bored411, Dovie-Chan, bleach fan no 1, and Zororenjilover!_

_Only two more chapters til the time skip. Yay!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 15: Goodbye**

Renji knew he was staying in the real world on borrowed time. It had been a week and a half since their encounter with the Arrancar. Sachi had healed and was now in perfect health. Things had been quiet and not a single Hollow had shown up since then. Renji knew he should have left. His powers had recovered, Sachi was fine, and everything was under control. And yet he just couldn't bring himself to go. He knew though that he would have to sooner rather than later or else there would be even more trouble than there already had been.

So Renji had promised himself he would leave once the school semester was over. And here finally- though Renji would have been perfectly happy for it to take a lot longer- was the end of the last day of school. Renji stayed quiet as he walked home with Sachi and her friends while they talked animatedly about their plans for the summer. Even if he had had something to say he was too lost in his own thoughts to voice it. Sachi kept glancing at him worriedly. She didn't like it when he was zoning out this much.

Finally they came to the corner where Sachi and Renji parted ways with everyone else.

"We're going to miss you so much!" Mao suddenly exclaimed, throwing her arms around Sachi's shoulders.

"I'm going to miss you guys too!" Sachi replied, hugging Mao back. Mao stepped away and Yuzuki hugged Sachi while Akio and Kenta looked on. "Don't get into too much trouble," Sachi added, throwing a mischievous smile towards the two boys.

"Oh you don't have to worry about us," Kenta replied with a wink. Akio simply sighed and rolled his eye, grabbing Mao's hand and pulling her down the street.

More goodbyes were exchanged until Sachi and Renji stood alone on the street corner, Sachi still waving at her friends as they turned the corner at the other end of the street.

As Sachi lowered her arm Renji was alarmed to see her expression drop. She looked so sad now. "What was that all about?" Renji asked, equal parts curious and concerned. "You're going to see them over the summer right?"

"No…" Sachi sighed wistfully. "I won't see them again until school starts in the fall."

"Why not?" Renji was completely baffled.

Sachi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye as she turned and headed the opposite way of her friends. Renji followed. Sachi didn't say anything for a long while and Renji was just starting to fidget impatiently when she spoke again. "It's because…" Sachi bit her lip and Renji tried hard not to be distracted. It wasn't hard to stay focused though when Sachi was acting so clearly uncomfortable.

When she spoke again she kept her eyes trained on the sidewalk, refusing to look in Renji's direction. "I don't spend my summers in Nagasaki. I stay in Karakura with my dad. I leave tomorrow morning."

Renji didn't know why he felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. It wasn't like the fact that she was leaving was any business of his. He was leaving too, though he hadn't told her that yet. Was it because she hadn't told him until now? But there hadn't been any time for her to tell him necessarily. They had been so busy with Hollows until after the Arrancar and then there'd been the end of semester exams to study for.

"Oh," was still all Renji managed to say.

"Yea…" Sachi replied quietly. Renji had never seen her look so forlorn before.

Summoning his wits about him he decided he would make her feel better. "Well it can't be that bad right? I mean Ichigo's you dad!" Renji's cheerfulness sounded fake even to his own ears.

"That's true," Sachi replied, smiling. But the smile was thin and it didn't reach her eyes. "It wasn't so bad when Grandpa was still alive. But without him it's…not the same."

Renji had to work to hide his grimace. It would be a very long time before anyone in Soul Society forgot the day that Isshin Kurosaki "died". Renji took a long sideways glance at Sachi and decided that it might be best not to say anything else about it. Sachi's feelings towards her father weren't any of his business, nor were they something that he fully comprehended. And while he couldn't erase her pain he would be there for her if she chose to lean on him.

In the end she didn't and they spent the rest of their last walk home together in uneasy silence.

…

Once they got back Sachi started packing. Renji sat down on her bed and watched her silently as she worked. The more stuff she got packed the more worried Sachi became. Renji's face was becoming closed off, a wall falling behind his eyes. He was becoming more and more like the mysterious otherworldly being she had met two months ago, though it seemed like forever ago now. Sachi didn't like it one bit. In fact it scared her.

"So what are you going to do?" Sachi asked, suddenly desperate to break the deafening silence.

If it was even possible Renji's face became even more closed off. "I'm going to go back to Soul Society. I've been here too long," he replied his voice oddly neutral.

Sachi suddenly felt like she was suffocating. She was completely shocked. Not that she should be, she berated herself. It wasn't like he was just going to sit around waiting for her to get back. Or come with her or something. He had his own life to live and his own responsibilities and duties as a Soul Reaper. In fact it was kind of amazing that he hadn't left already. But still she wanted, more than anything, for Renji to still be here when she got back.

"Of course," Sachi replied with a half-hearted smile, silently thankful that her voice had remained steady.

Something flickered through Renji's eyes then, making him look more alive than he had since they had left her friends. Sachi had seen it before- that emotion that she didn't know what to name. She turned away from Renji quickly. Normally when she saw it her heart fluttered pleasantly, but this time it only created a strangely hollow ache.

Renji stood up abruptly. He couldn't put it off anymore. If he did his resolve to leave would break. Sachi jumped a bit at the sound of Renji's soul leaving his gigai. When she turned to face him he pretended not to see tears she hurriedly wiped out of the corners of her eyes. Renji's chest ached.

"Here," Renji said, offering Ichigo's substitute badge to Sachi. "I'm going to have to send the gikongan back with my gigai, but I think you should probably hold onto this." Sachi took it with a mute nod.

Renji pressed a hidden button on the back of his gigai's head and it deflated with a pop. Renji couldn't help but be impressed every time he inflated or deflated one of Urahara's inflatable gigais. It was such a useful invention. He stuffed the gigai-turned-balloon and the gikongan, which he grabbed from Sachi's bedside table where she'd put it after coming back from changing out of her school uniform, in his pocket to send back to Urahara once he was back in the Seireitai. He grabbed his backpack, already stuffed with the human clothes he had been using, and stood in the center of the room.

Renji looked at Sachi. As he did so his chest ached so badly he thought it was going to split apart. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to stay more than anything. But he couldn't. She still had her human life to live and he had his own life back in Soul Society. But it was still tearing him apart.

Sachi looked back at Renji. The feeling of suffocation had intensified. She was kind of surprised that she hadn't passed out yet. She wanted to say something, anything, to get him to stay, but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't seem to get her mouth to move. Her chest hurt so badly. It wasn't a physical pain, but it might as well have been. It felt like her heart was breaking in two.

"Well…I guess I'll see you around then," Renji said, feeling lame.

"Yea…" Sachi replied, her throat feeling very thick.

As Renji turned away from her it was all Sachi could do to stop herself from reaching out and grabbing the back of his shihakusho. She had to let him leave. He had other things he needed to do. But she was so desperate for him to stay. Could this be…? Sachi wondered for the first, as Renji unsheathed Zabimaru, if she was in love with him. If it was love that was ripping her chest apart. Was love feeling like a part of you was leaving when the person you loved walked away from you?

Renji thrust Zabimaru out into the empty air, half of the blade disappearing as it connected him to Soul Society. Turning his sword Renji activated the senkaimon. Round sliding doors appeared in front of him and slid open, revealing a blinding whiteness. Beyond it lay Soul Society and home. A single hell butterfly fluttered out of the light and around his shoulders.

The door was now open in front of him, but the desire to stay was stronger than ever. Renji's heart ached with new fierceness as he took a reluctant step forward. All of Renji's confusion about his feelings for Sachi and Rukia disappeared. He had never hurt this badly for Rukia.

He wanted to say something. Anything. Some words of comfort. A joke to cheer her up. He wanted to confess his feelings for her. He just wanted to say _something_ to Sachi. Gathering his courage Renji half-turned back towards her. "Hey. Sachi." She looked up at him, surprise and eagerness finally bringing some light back to her eyes.

And that's when Renji's courage failed him. He was such an idiot. The only thing that would make this moment easier was the one thing he couldn't say. Renji could not stay in the real world. "Be careful," he said instead, regretting with every syllable that he couldn't say anything else.

Sachi's face instantly fell. "Of course," she replied quietly, refusing to meet his eyes.

It took a massive effort of will for Renji to turn away, but he did. And then he took those last few steps that brought him into the senkaimon. As the gate slid shut behind him Sachi sat heavily on her bed. She was so sad. She knew she was. And yet there were no tears- her eyes were completely dry. All she had was an empty ache in her chest where her heart was supposed to be and the lingering feeling of loneliness.

…**The next day…Soul Society…**

Renji knew he was going to be in trouble when he got back. But he hadn't realized how much trouble. Kuchiki-taicho had been waiting for him with a bunch of guards and then had promptly escorted him to Central 46. Central 46 had questioned him and he had confessed, assuring them that the human he had given his powers to was now powerless and had no memory of the past two months. It was an outright lie, but there was no way in hell that Renji was going to give Sachi away. He had then been suspended from going on missions outside of the Seireitei for the next ten years, effectively chaining him to his desk and his paperwork until his suspension was over.

Renji's sentence was surprisingly lenient. Sure it was going to _suck_ but he could have come out much, much worse. Kuchiki-taicho was another matter though. He hadn't so much as glanced in Renji's direction since his arrival. Renji wondered how many decades it was going to take him to get back into the man's good graces again. Still, it had all been worth it. He wouldn't change anything he had done in the real world no mater how many chances he had to do it over again.

Renji sighed heavily and laid his brush down, massaging his hand. He had a lot of paperwork to catch up on after his two-month absence. Suddenly the door to the office was slammed open. Renji looked up, startled, to see a very pissed off Rukia framed in the door.

Kuchiki-taicho was currently in a Captain's meeting so Rukia disregarded all rules of decorum, opting instead to stalk into the room and deliver a sharp blow to the back of Renji's head. "_Idiot!_ What the hell were you thinking?" she demanded.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Renji snapped back, rubbing the back of his now throbbing skull.

"Giving you powers to a human? You really are an idiot! Didn't you learn anything from what happened to me?"

"It's not like I had a choice! It was either do that or we were both going to die! How'd you find out anyways? I haven't even been back for a full day yet!"

"Ukitake-taicho told me. Said they were going to discuss it at the meeting," Rukia grumbled in reply. "But that's not important!" She hit him again and Renji yelped angrily then turned a heated glare on her. Rukia matched it defiantly. "You always have a choice, idiot! And you made the wrong one!"

Renji was finally starting to really lose his temper. He stood up abruptly, staring down at Rukia angrily as he towered over her. "No I didn't have a choice! I couldn't just let her die! She's Ichigo's daughter, damn it!"

As soon as the words were out his mouth Renji regretted them. That was something that he hadn't intended to tell anyone, least of all Rukia. He just had such a hard time controlling his mouth when they argued.

Shock crossed Rukia's face and then she paled dramatically. Suddenly looking faint she groped for Renji's chair and collapsed into it. "I-Ichigo's daughter?" she choked out.

Renji bit back his sigh. Well the cat was out of the bag now. There was no use in trying to take it back. "Yes, Ichigo's daughter. Her name is Sachi."

There was a pain in Renji's chest as he saw tears well up in Rukia's eyes and then watched her swallow them. It was that same familiar pain that he always felt whenever he saw evidence of Rukia's feelings for Ichigo. It didn't seem to hurt as much as it used to though. And it paled in comparison to the ache in his heart when his mind drifted to Sachi.

"I didn't know…" Rukia murmured more to herself than to Renji. "How could we not have known about this? Isn't Squad Twelve keeping tabs on Ichigo and everyone else?" Rukia asked, finally meeting Renji's eyes. Confusion and the beginnings of suspicion now hid the hurt in her gaze.

Renji looked away as he thought. That was something that he'd been wondering to. In fact there was a lot that he had been wondering about since he met Sachi in the real world.

That fact of the matter was that Soul Society should have known that Ichigo had a daughter and that she was in Nagasaki. But there had been no mention to him about it and Yumichika and Ikkaku hadn't known either. Then there were the Hollows that they had dealt with in the real world. Then had progressively gotten stronger during his stay, culminating in the Arrancar. That was not normal. And it definitely should have attracted the attention of Soul Society, but no one was ever sent to investigate. Hollows were normally just mindless monsters, acting randomly, appearing when and where they felt like. It was almost like someone had sent them to Sachi and him. The thought made Renji's blood run cold. And there was the whole thing with Ikkaku and Yumichika being sent to check on him. Ikkaku was right. Renji had been extremely lucky that it was the two of them who were sent and not someone else.

The entire thing was just too suspicious.

"I don't know," Renji finally replied. He turned back to Rukia and met her eyes steadily, his face set in determined frown. "But something weird is going on. And I intend to find out what."

Resolve strengthened Rukia's expression. "I'm going to help you then," she declared.

Renji couldn't stop himself from smirking just a tiny bit. That was more like it.

…**Around the same time…Karakura…**

Sachi collapsed backwards onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. Well it wasn't really her bed. It was actually the same bed that her dad had slept in when he was growing up, but since she used his old room when she came to visit she used his bed too. Therefore it was her bed. But _only_ temporarily.

Sachi sighed heavily. She hated staying with her dad. It was just so…awkward. Like when he came to get her at the train station. As always it was easy to spot her father. Even with it streaked with gray Ichigo Kurosaki's bright orange hair stood out in a crowd. The same orange hair that Sachi had inherited. Once she found him Sachi and her father had stared uneasily at each other for a moment, Ichigo wearing his characteristic frown and Sachi's expression oddly blank. Finally her father had muttered a gruff hello and pulled her into a one-armed hug. Sachi hadn't returned the hug, but did murmur her own greeting.

Now they were back at the little neighborhood clinic that her grandfather had run before her father and that her father kept going even now. Sachi missed her grandfather terribly. He had been the main thing that made her visits to Karakura bearable, but he had died nearly four years ago.

The doorbell downstairs rang. "Sachi they're here," she heard her father yell.

Though she missed her grandpa there was one other thing that made her visits bearable. The big dinner that her family and the family friends had at the beginning of the summer. Sachi stood up and headed downstairs. She had just barely stepped into the kitchen when she has practically tackled by a girl with thick, curly black hair and honey colored skin.

"Izumi!" Sachi half-gasped, half-cried in delight as the girl nearly strangled her with her hug.

"I'm so happy to see you Sachi!" Izumi yelled in Sachi's ear.

"Izumi! Behave!" Izumi's mother said sharply, whacking her teenage daughter on the head. Izumi let of Sachi and turned to her mother with a loud whine of 'But mom!'.

"Hi Tatsuki-sensei," Sachi said, smilingly broadly at the dark-haired woman who was still glaring reproachfully at her daughter.

"Welcome back Sachi," Tatsuki replied returning Sachi's smile before beginning to lecture her daughter on proper manners.

Two boys several years younger than Izumi dashed into the room, dropped wrapped bundles of food on the kitchen table, and then ran back out again to play. A giant of a man with brown hair and dark skin glanced back at them with a soft sigh as he entered the room.

"Hi Chad-san!" Sachi called to him. A man of few words Chad, Tatsuki's husband and Izumi's father, simply nodded in return before going over to talk to Sachi's father who was chopping vegetables next to the sink.

Chad and Tatsuki were family friends. Tatsuki was also the head of the karate dojo that Sachi had attended when she was younger. They had Izumi and the twin boys, with Izumi only a year younger than Sachi. They had grown up together before Sachi's mother took her to Nagasaki and were best friends. Even though they didn't live in the same city anymore Sachi and Izumi were still quite close.

With her mother finally finished with her lecture Izumi turned back to Sachi, her brown eyes bright and eager. "Oh my gosh there's so much you have to tell me! So, what's high school really like?" Izuimi whispered to Sachi conspiratorially.

Sachi couldn't help herself from smilingly as she opened her mouth to answer. She was interrupted, however, by the boisterous arrival of two more boys- her younger cousins. "Go play outside," Sachi's aunt Yuzu said sternly as she deposited her own bags onto the table. Sachi's cousins ran outside again. "Sachi-chan! Welcome back!" Sachi's aunt said grinning warmly as she enfolded Sachi in a hug. Sachi's aunt Yuzu was beautiful with sandy blonde hair and brown eyes.

Sachi's other aunt, Karin, came in behind Yuzu's husband her own husband in tow. "Hey Sachi. Long time no see," she said giving Sachi a hug too. Dark-haired and dark-eyed she was pretty much the complete opposite of her twin sister. "Have you gotten taller?" Karin asked, her tone jokingly accusing as she pulled away. Sachi replied with a sheepish nod.

"Sachi-chan!" Sachi was suddenly enclosed in a suffocating hug. When the hugger pulled away Sachi was confronted with the beaming face of Orihime-san, another old family friend. She was one of the most beautiful (and well-endowed) women that Sachi had ever met and she was also one the kindest and friendliest people Sachi knew. It had always amazed Sachi that Orihime-san had never married. Sachi had asked her about it once when she was younger, but Orihime-san had just gotten a sad, faraway look in her eyes and had promised to tell her when she was older.

Sachi watched, smilingly fondly as the chaos that was people arriving and setting out food quickly became ordered under the direction of her aunt Yuzu. Of all the things that happened during the summer, this dinner was Sachi's favorite. It was impossible for her to feel miserable in Karakura when she was surrounded by her family and friends.

Finally everything was set out in place. "I guess we should get started then…" Sachi's father said, frowning.

"Wait Kurosaki-kun! Ishida-kun isn't here yet!"

"Don't worry Inoue-san. We're here." All eyes turned to a man with pure white hair, his wife and son behind him. He pushed his glasses up his nose to reveal blue eyes as he held up a wrapped dish. "And we brought dessert too."

The Ishida family was welcomed into the fold and dinner began. It wasn't too long until a brown-haired, be-speckled boy with a haircut nearly identical to his father's sidled over to where Sachi and Izumi were eating. "Kurosaki-san, Sado-san," he greeted them stiffly.

Sachi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Kenji Ishida liked to make a big show of following proper etiquette. "There's no need to be so formal," Sachi told the boy. Kenji's father Uryuu was another yet another family friend. Kenji was the same age as Izumi and Sachi had grown up with him in much the same way as she had with Izumi. Kenji had always acted as if he and Sachi had some kind of rivalry for reasons that were never fully explained to Sachi.

"I'm just being polite," Kenji replied, his voice slightly defensive as he pushed his glasses up his nose. Without the glare across the glass it was easy to see that Kenji's eyes were the same blue as his father's.

"Hello Ishida-kun," Izumi said shyly, not looking up from her plate where it sat on her lap. Sachi's head snapped towards Izumi, startled. Shyly was definitely not normal for Izumi. Sachi was even more surprised to see that Izumi was blushing fiercely. Sneaking a peek back at Kenji, Sachi saw that he was red too.

Sachi's face spilt into an enormous, devious grin. "Well it's about damn time you two."

Izumi and Kenji turned startled on gazes on her. "W-what're talking about?" Izumi asked uneasily.

Sachi's grin turned smug. "You're finally dating aren't you? That's why you're being so formal." Izumi and Kenji didn't reply, only looking determinedly in any direction but at each other while their faces burned red.

Sachi began to laugh. "There's nothing to laugh at about it!" Kenji snapped angrily at Sachi.

"Yea there is!" Sachi replied, managing to control her laughter into giggles. "You guys are acting so awkward. Like you haven't been in love with each other since you were four!"

"L-love?" Izumi stuttered, flustered. Standing beside her Kenji's face began to glow.

Sachi laughed again. But this time her laughter died much more quickly as Renji crossed her thoughts. She missed him terribly, despite being surrounded by all the people who loved her. She wished he could be here with her. She wished he could always be there with her. Again she wondered if what she was feeling was honest to goodness love. She still wasn't sure.

…

That night Sachi stared at the ceiling above her bed unable to sleep. The dinner had been fun as it always was. She enjoyed catching up with the people who lived in Karakura. It especially made her happy to find out that Izumi and Kenji had finally confessed their feelings to each other.

But she still felt…empty. Lonely. The ache in her chest that had started when Renji left was still there. She was beginning to wonder if it was ever going to go away. Rolling onto her side Sachi wondered what Renji was doing right now. Was it nighttime in the Soul Society too? Did they even have night?

Suddenly a yowling sound erupted from Sachi's still unpacked bag. She shot straight up in bed, alarmed, before she realized it was the substitute badge that Renji had given to her before he left. Sachi scrambled out of bed and dug around in her bag, finally managing to pull the badge out. Its alarm was much louder now. Not entirely certain what to do Sachi hesitantly pressed the badge against her chest as she had seen Renji do. With that familiar pulling sensation and a faint popping noise Sachi's soul left her body. She examined herself carefully. Apparently the badge worked the same way as the gikongan because she didn't look any different.

Reassured, Sachi put the badge into her pocket, opened the window above the bed, and leapt out into the night. Though Sachi no longer had Renji's spirit pager to rely on she was skilled enough now to hunt Hollows by tracking their spiritual pressure alone. She wasn't very good at it, but she got the job done. A short while later, Sachi arrived outside of Karakura's big community hospital where a Hollow was terrorizing the spirits who hung out around it. Sachi easily dispatched the Hollow and sent the spirits on.

Sachi had just sheathed her sword and was about to leave when she felt more than heard reality behind her rip. The badge in her pocket began to howl again. Turning, she saw three large Hollows emerge into the parking lot behind her. Sachi reached back and grabbed Tengetsu's hilt as her adrenaline surged. This could be a problem. She'd never handled three Hollows at once on her own before. And these Hollows were big. One she would have been easy. Two she would have been fine with. Three? She wasn't sure.

All three Hollows roared and charged. Sachi blocked the first one's claws with Tengetsu, ducked under the second's, and vaulted the third's. Sachi glanced over her shoulder at the three Hollows as they turned to attack again. She definitely couldn't handle fighting them all at once like this. So Sachi ran, intending to string them out behind her and then take them out one by one.

Unfortunately for Sachi the Hollows were fast too. All three had no problem keeping up with her. Tired of running Sachi finally turned around and faced the Hollows. She was probably going to get hurt doing this, but she wasn't getting anywhere by just running away. As Sachi began to fight it quickly became clear that she was outmatched with the three Hollows. She ducked and dodged and weaved and blocked, practically unable to get her own attacks in as she dodged the Hollows. She managed to take a chunk out of one's mask and cut another's leg off (not that it mattered because that one had so many legs that Sachi couldn't count them all), but that was all.

Eventually Sachi found herself backed into a corner. Not even releasing Tengetsu's shikai had helped much. Desperate Sachi began to gather reiatsu around Tengetsu's blade, intending to make her last stand a good one. The first Hollow reared back and roared, suddenly charging forward. Cursing under her breath because her attack wasn't quite done charging yet Sachi brought Tengetsu up to guard.

And then what looked like a bright blue arrow went shooting through the Hollow's head. Sachi froze, completely stunned, as the Hollow simply dissolved away.

"Well, I must say I'm rather disappointed. Your powers finally awaken and you can't even manage to beat these small fry."

Sachi whipped around towards the oh-so-familiar voice. "Kenji?" she gasped. Kenji stopped about ten feet away from Sachi and pushed his glasses back up his nose. When he lowered his hand again Sachi saw he was wearing a smug little smirk. All Sachi could do was gape at him. He was wearing a strange outfit now, fitted white pants and shirt and a…cape? Had it been Kenji who had fired that arrow?

The second Hollow screamed angrily and charged towards Kenji. Kenji swung his right arm up and a glowing blue bow suddenly manifested in his hand. Before he could draw the string, however, someone else came flying out of nowhere. With a feral yell, the person performed a flying roundhouse kick, their foot smashing into the second Hollow's mask. Bright white light expanded from the point of contact and there was a massive explosion, sending debris and dust into the air.

When the dust finally settled Sachi was pretty sure that her jaw dropped to the ground in shock. Standing in front to Kenji with a triumphant look on her face was Izumi. The Hollow was nowhere in sight, clearly defeated. Both Izumi's arms and legs were coated in a strange substance that looked vaguely like armor. The right arm and leg were incased in black and pink, and the left red and white.

"Is that your zanpakuto?" Izumi suddenly exclaimed, pointing at Tengetsu. "Wow it's totally awesome!" Behind Izumi, Kenji scoffed softly.

Sachi was at a loss for words. How was it even possible that her two best friends, the two people that she had known her entire life, had developed these powers without her knowing? Sachi suddenly felt as lost as she had the night she met Renji. But that got the gears in her mind turning again. She remembered from her father's stories that the hero with the enormous sword had several friends. One was a Quincy archer who wielded a glowing blue bow. Another was a silent man who wielded the power of a giant with his right hand and the power of a devil with his left.

And if Sachi's father was the hero in the stories then it could be possible that Uryuu-san and Chad-san were his friends, right? And if that was true then it wasn't that much of a stretch to imagine that Izumi and Kenji had inherited their parent's powers just as Sachi had. Right? Sachi's mind reeled. It shouldn't have been that big of a deal really after everything that Sachi had experienced in the last two months, but it was hard for Sachi's mind to accept this new side of the friends she had known for so long.

Sachi's thoughts were interrupted by the last Hollow. Apparently it had decided that since its two pals had been taken care of so easily that it should get the hell out of dodge. With a pitiful little yowl the Hollow turned and began to run away. The glowing blue bow reappeared in Kenji's hand, but before he could raise it to fire Izumi stopped him.

"Hold on a second. I want to see Sachi in action." She turned towards Sachi, eyes bright with excitement. Kenji snorted derisively, but he didn't protest, the bow disappearing again.

Sachi looked back at the retreating Hollow. Izumi wanted to see what she could do huh? With the corners of her mouth curving upwards into a cocky smile Sachi began to gather reiatsu around her blade again. Out of the corner of her eye Sachi saw her friend's eyes widen as her power surged and hit its peak. Sachi raised Tengetsu and then swung her down, releasing the attack. The Hollow was annihilated in the sudden blast of blue-white reiatsu, leaving spots in Sachi's vision.

Everything was quiet for a long moment. Then Izumi let out a low whistled clearly impressed. Kenji harrumphed quietly as he adjusted his glasses, but didn't say anything more.

"Yes, that was quite impressive wasn't it?"

Sachi turned, startled by the sound of the voice. Behind her stood a strange man, wearing a green and white striped hat and wooden sandals. "Urahara-san?" Izumi said, sounding as startled Sachi felt.

The man nodded towards Izumi and Kenji, acknowledging them, before turning back to Sachi. "You're coming along quite well it seems. I'm impressed at how good a job Abarai-san has done with you. I wonder though…do you know who I am?"

As Sachi examined him closely something sparked deep in her memory. "Mr. Hat-n-Clogs?" she guessed uncertainly.

The man's face broke into a wide grin. "The one and only. Your father was always quite fond of that nickname for me. Let me introduce myself properly." The man pulled the hat off his head, revealing blonde hair and gray eyes, and swept into a dramatic bow. "My name is Kisuke Urahara, proprietor of the humble Urahara Shoten."

Sachi didn't know what to say so she stayed silent. Mr. Hat-and-Clogs, as her father had called him, had figured quite prominently in her father's stories. He owned a strange candy shop that sold very little candy. He was also the one who trained the hero and gave him access to the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. While it seemed like Mr. Hat-and-Clogs was a good guy, Sachi's father had always been rather ambiguous about it whenever she asked him out right. Meeting the man now Sachi could see why. There was something about this Kisuke Urahara that made her wary about trusting him.

Urahara seemed to realize this, his grin becoming knowing as he put his hat back on and pulled out a fan to hide his face. "You seem like a shrewd young woman, Sachi Kurosaki, so I'll cut right to the chase. I trained your father before he went into the Soul Society to rescue one Miss Rukia Kuchiki. I'm here to offer to do the same for you while you are in Karakura for the summer."

Sachi blinked, taken aback. Whatever she had been expecting him to say it wasn't that. "Why?" she blurted out.

"Because you have a great amount of potential Kurosaki-san. You also have a great amount of power, which could become very dangerous without the proper control. You could be very strong, at least as strong as you father, if you wanted Kurosaki-san. Abarai-san has done a good job starting you off, but I would like to take you further. If you agree, of course."

Sachi didn't like the way that last sentence rolled slyly off Urahara's tongue. But... Sachi glanced over at Izumi and Kenji who were watching them with interest. They were both already strong, but they'd probably had their powers for a lot longer than Sachi had. She'd had trouble with those three Hollows on her own when Izumi and Kenji probably could have taken them out by themselves without breaking a sweat. And back in Nagasaki there was only her and Ichihara-sensei. What if something like what happened tonight happened there? Or another Arrancar showed up? As Sachi was now, she knew she wouldn't be able handle it. Renji had always said that her training progressed remarkably quickly, but it was obvious that Sachi still had a long way to go.

Sachi looked down at Tengetsu, held firmly in her grasp. She could be stronger. She knew that without the Urahara guy telling her that. But she also knew she couldn't do it by herself. And there was Renji too. He couldn't let him down after everything he had taught her by failing because she hadn't trained to get any stronger.

_What do you think?_ Sachi asked her zanpakuto softly.

Tengetsu's giggle echoed through Sachi's mind. _I'm not scared if you're not!_ There was a pause and then the childishness was gone from Tengetsu's voice. _It is time to take another step forward Sachi. Train with him._

Sachi looked back up at the man with the striped hat. Meeting his eyes confidently she replied, "Ok."

…

Kisuke was feeling quite cheerful when he arrived back at his shop. Not even the sight of a familiar orange-haired man leaning against the wall of his store could dampen his spirits as he entered the yard. "Kurosaki-san!" Kisuke called. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise!"

Ichigo Kurosaki pushed himself off the of the side shop and stepped down off the porch, heading towards Kisuke. "Don't give me that crap Urahara," he said gruffly, coming to a stop a short distance from the other man.

All traces of joviality were wiped from Kisuke's face as he took in Ichigo's deep scowl. "I apologize, Kurosaki-san," Kisuke replied seriously. "What can I do for you tonight?"

"You met Sachi tonight." It wasn't a question, but Kisuke nodded in affirmation anyways. "And you offered to train her." Another nod.

Ichigo suddenly looked away and sighed. When he turned back to Kisuke he looked nearly as old as Kisuke felt. "Just promise me one thing, Urahara. That she'll be safe."

Kisuke carefully considered Ichigo for a moment. Then he spread his hands wide in a 'what can you do?' gesture and shrugged. "No one can ever promise anyone that Kurosaki-san. But I won't put her in anymore danger than I did you."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. He looked like he was going to say something nasty, but then he suddenly sighed again. "Right. Of course. Well, just take care of her Urahara." With that Ichigo set off again, passing Kisuke and heading for home.

Kisuke tipped his hat in acknowledgement to Ichigo as he passed. "Goodnight Kurosaki-san," Kisuke called before Ichigo disappeared from sight. Ichigo's only reply was a lone wave of his hand.

Kisuke started back towards his shop, some of his cheeriness returning. Things were finally starting to move again. It wouldn't be too much longer now until the beginning of the end arrived.

**Author's Note:**

_Ok, so I know I said that there were going to be two more chapters before the time skip. But I started writing this one and I was kind of like 'Eh, I don't really like this' so I deleted it and rewrote it. And now, rather than adding all that other stuff in I added what was supposed to be the last chapter before the time skip on the end of this and BAM! Chapter 15! And guess what…the next chapter is after the time skip! Yay! Though now I'm actually going to have to sit down and plot the second half of this story out…_

_Anyways it's time to say goodbye to Nagasaki now. I don't think there will be anymore chapters set there and you won't be seeing Sachi's friends again. But you will be seeing lots of Izumi and Kenji and the other canon characters from Karakura. And if you don't like the way I kind of paired everyone up TOO BAD because I do. Especially Tatsuki and Chad. Not a popular pairing, but I feel like they'd balance each other out really well. And Orihime isn't married for a reason and yes I will be using that later._

_There was a lot of things that I wanted to put in this chapter that just didn't really fit in with the way I wrote it so I'm going to put that stuff here. If you're not really interested you can skip this bit as none of it's really important. Tatsuki runs a karate dojo and Chad runs a Mexican restaurant (I have no idea if they have Mexican restaurants in the Japan, but it works in my head). Izumi has taken lessons from Tatsuki since she could walk and kicks as much ass as her mother. Also her powers, modeled on Chad's, work from both her arms and legs taking advantage of her karate skills, but she has to make contact with her enemy, i.e. no shooting off any El Directos. Uryuu's hair is white because in Déjà Vu world all the Ishida men go gray early. He works at the hospital like Ryuuken did (he's legitimately dead) and has trained Kenji to be a Quincy too. Yuzu and Karin are both married to random unnamed characters and Karin doesn't have any children…yet. _

_Seven reviews! Woot! THANK YOU Sora'struelover, bleach fan no 1, Red6, Dovie-Chan, bored411, Luafua, and Zororenjilover. My repeat reviewers are AWESOME! _

_Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I've been really busy doing work for my training course the past couple of weeks and well…I started another story. SHAMLESS PLUG ALERT! It's a Hetalia story based off the concept of another Hetalia story, but it's pretty awesome (if I do say so myself). So if you like Hetalia you should totally check it out. END SHAMLESS PLUG!_

_Next chapter…time skip!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. Nor do I own the city of Nagasaki. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 16: Two Years Later**

Renji sighed and slumped back in his chair as he placed the last form on top of the papers piled in his outbox. It had been two years, _two_ very long years since he had returned to Soul Society from the real world and as he had predicted all he had done was paperwork. It was absolutely exhausting, but since he couldn't leave the Seireitei and Kuchiki-taicho liked to head the training of the unseated officers himself there wasn't much else for Renji to do.

It hadn't been all bad though, Renji supposed. Kuchiki-taicho seemed to forgive Renji after the first six months, though he still tended not to look directly at Renji when he spoke to him. And the rest of his friends within the officer core had stopped begging him for details of what had happened in the real world a long time ago.

But he and Rukia hadn't made any progress in their investigation. No matter how many times they went to Squad Twelve their requests for information about Ichigo's family or the Hollow activity for Nagasaki during the time Renji was there were always denied. There wasn't anything in the archives either. And when Renji had asked Hinamori about sending Ikkaku and Yumichika to check on him she denied any direct involvement beyond making the recommendations. The unanswered questions made Renji uneasy, but without any confirmation for his suspicions all he could to was stew.

Renji sighed again and turned his gaze to the window. Outside the sky was bright blue. Perfect fluffy, white clouds lazily drifted along with the wind. It was a beautiful early summer day and Renji's mind began to drift to where it always seemed to.

Sachi.

Renji had thought about her a lot in the last two years. He often wondered how she was doing, what she was doing, if she missed him. Then he would give himself a mental slap and remind himself that he had other things to worry about. But he still missed her. Terribly.

Renji's idyllic daydreams were interrupted by the flutter of pink and black wings. A hell butterfly was fluttering around his head trying to attract his attention. Holding in yet another sigh- Now what could it be?- he held out his hand so that the butterfly could land on his fingers.

Renji frowned as he listened to the message. He was wanted at a Captain's meeting? What on Earth for? As the butterfly fluttered away Renji stood and strode to the office door.

…

Sachi flopped back onto her bed- her _temporary _bed- and stared glumly at the ceiling. Here she was back in Karakura town for the summer. The annual party had ended a few hours ago and after Sachi had helped her father clean up she had retreated back to her room. There was one good thing though. She was in her last year of high school and then she'd start college. She'd be an adult. And then, _then_, she wouldn't have to spend another summer in Karakura ever again!

Sachi sighed, rolling onto her side and turning her gaze out the window where a full moon hung in the sky. She'd miss her friends and family here if she never came back, but she just hated staying in Karakura so much. Her father hadn't gotten any more genial in the past two years. If anything he had gotten grumpier.

Sleepiness making her eyelids feel heavy Sachi allowed her mind to drift. She probably should have been thinking about the future. Finishing high school. What she was going to study in college. Instead, however, her mind drifted to the past, to the one person who always seemed to haunt her thoughts.

Renji.

She spent an awful lot of time thinking about him despite the fact that it'd been two years since he'd left. Sachi often wondered how he was doing, what he was doing, if he missed her. Then she would mentally slap herself and tell herself that that was silly. He was a Lieutenant in Soul Society. He probably didn't have time to think about her. But, still, she hoped he did.

As Sachi had gotten older and matured she realized that she really had been in love with Renji. And was still in love with him. She'd had plenty of suitors at school, but she had never really been attracted to them, even to the couple that she had actually dated. Any thoughts like that inevitability led back to Renji. So, she had decided that she should wait until she was older to think about romance. Hopefully by then Renji would fade from her thoughts.

Sachi was just beginning to drift off to sleep when the substitute badge in her bag began to howl. Muttering an irritated curse under her breath Sachi threw the covers off and went to dig the badge out of her bag. Finding it, she pressed it against her chest and left her physical body, leaping out the open window into the warm summer night.

She jumped from rooftop to rooftop until she heard a voice call out to her from the street.

"Sachi! Long time no see!" Izumi laughed as she waved.

Sachi smiled back and jumped down, landing beside Izumi and Kenji. They, like everything else in Karakura, hadn't changed much. They were both older and taller, but other than that everything else was the same. They were still together even.

"You really didn't need to come, you know," Kenji said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Kenji!" Izumi exclaimed, turning to him and placing her hands on her hips. "Don't be like that! Sachi is our friend!"

"Don't worry about Izumi," Sachi said smirking. "Kenji's just worried that I'm going to kill all the Hollows so fast that there won't be any left for him."

"I am not!" Kenji protested indignantly.

"Then prove me wrong, slow poke!" Sachi replied, flashing Kenji a teasing smile before taking off towards the emerging Hollows in a quick shunpo.

"Soul Reapers!" Kenji snorted acidly. Izumi giggled and took off after Sachi with Kenji close behind.

…

Renji supposed that he felt nostalgic. It was hard to say though, really. He and Rukia were standing in the air several hundred feet above Karakura for the first time in, what, 20 years? Or was it more like 30? Renji honestly couldn't remember anymore.

What was even more amazing was that he was here in the first place. When he had gone to that Captain's meeting the last thing he had expected was to be told that he was being assigned to a special mission to Karakura Town in order to investigate the strange Hollow readings they had been collecting recently. It seemed that Rukia, who had originally been assigned to go this mission alone, had specially requested that Renji be allowed to assist her.

Now that didn't surprise him. "It hasn't changed much has it?" Renji asked. When Rukia didn't answer he gave her a long sidelong glance. She was staring down at the city lights, her Kuchiki mask firmly in place. When she had that face on not even Renji could tell what she was thinking.

But he could guess. As strange as this was for him it had to be even harder for Rukia. Her connection to this place and the people in it was so much stronger than his. And this was her first time here since the end of the Winter War too. Idly Renji wondered if she would take off at some point to go see Ichigo, even if he wouldn't know she was there.

Suddenly a loud beeping echoed around them. Rukia pulled a soul pager out from within her shihakusho and flipped it open. Renji waited patiently while Rukia read their orders. Finally she snapped the soul pager shut. "Let's go," Rukia commanded, her voice cold, without looking at him. She took off towards where the high school had been with Renji close on her heels.

The Hollow was indeed emerging over the high school and by the time that Rukia and Renji reached it Rukia's soul pager had gone off another three times. Clearly the reports of abnormal Hollow activity were not exaggerations. A larger number of Hollows appearing in Karakura was not unexpected because of the number of humans with high levels of reiastu living in the area, but the rate with which they were appearing was definitely abnormal.

Renji quickly dispatched the Hollow at the school and then he and Rukia were off again to get the next one. They didn't really even have time to think about what they were doing or take readings for Squad Twelve. For every Hollow they killed another two or three were appearing.

"This is ridiculous!" Rukia finally declared, stopping in the air high above the town's bridge.

Renji, who hadn't realized she had stopped, bounded past Rukia for several hundred feet before he could stop himself. "Rukia! What're you doing? We need to keep moving!"

"No Renji. I've had enough of running all over town after these stupid Hollows. If there are this many we might as well bring them here and deal with them all at once."

Renji frowned at Rukia, uncertain as to what she meant, until her felt her reiatsu explode. She was purposefully releasing it in order to draw the Hollows to her. Once he realized that Renji rejoined Rukia and began to release his reiatsu too.

And did it ever work. Quickly, dozens of Hollows began to appear, drifting up into the sky towards the two of them like moths drawn to a flame. "What the hell is going on?" Renji gasped as they were surrounded. There were just so many.

"That's a good question," Rukia replied, eyes narrowed. "Let's take these guys out so we can figure out the answer."

In response Renji drew his zanpakuto. "Howl! Zabimaru!"

"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."

The fight began. Rukia and Renji were just fine at first, but the Hollows just kept coming and soon it became clear that they were getting overrun. And not all of the Hollows were weaklings either. Some were quite powerful, bordering on the Adjuchas class, which only made things more complicated.

Renji had an extra problem too. While he had trained extensively over the last two years, no amount of training could make up for the battle experience he hadn't gotten during that time. And since Renji hadn't been on a mission outside of the Seireitei in two years he had lost the edge that allowed him to think and act quickly during an actual fight. In short, Renji was getting careless.

On his second strike Renji had taken out one of the larger Hollows. Snorting in derision he had used Zabimaru's third strike, cutting through several of the weaker Hollows all at once. He had just begun to retract his blade when he heard Rukia's shout.

"Renji! Look out!"

Renji had glanced at Rukia to see her eyes wide and her face stricken with fear for him even as several Hollows were closing in on her. Dread settling in his stomach Renji began to turn. Over his shoulder he saw one of the near Adjuchas Hollows attacking him, claws out and feet from striking. With a new sense of urgency Renji drew Zabimaru in faster, but there was no way that he would finish retracting in time. Renji had left himself wide open.

And that was when Renji saw a flash of orange out of the corner of his eye. There was a sudden blast of familiar spiritual pressure and then, over the sound of the fight, he heard a voice. "Getsuga Tensho!" There was a blinding flash as a massive wave of blue-white reiatsu collided with the Hollow destroying it in an instant. Renji blinked away the spots in front of his eyes and saw her.

Sachi. There wasn't anyone else it could be.

She looked older than she had when he had left. She was taller and her face had lost the fullness of childhood, revealing the clean lines of a grown woman. Her hair, still as bright and orange as ever, was now long and fell below her shoulders. And there were curves under her shihakusho that Renji was certain hadn't been there before. Renji was completely breathless as he stared at her. She was so beautiful, even more beautiful than when he had last seen her.

Sachi stared back at Renji for one long moment, her brown eyes wide, before she launched herself at him. "Renji!"

Renji froze as Sachi's body collided with his, her arms wrapping around him in a strangely intimate embrace. "Renji! When I felt that spiritual pressure I wasn't sure, but it really is you! You're really here! And you're hair's longer!" Sachi exclaimed joyously in Renji's ear, tugging gently on the end of his ponytail.

"So is yours," Renji replied quietly as he hugged Sachi back, the silken strands of her hair dancing across the backs of his hands. He had missed her so much and here she was. His heart thundered with unbridled joy in his chest.

As Sachi pulled away from Renji she couldn't stop smiling. She couldn't remember being this happy in a very long time. Renji was back. He was really _here._ Sachi took a step back and examined Renji. He didn't look much different than the last time she had seen him. The only major things were that his hair was longer- it now brushed his shoulders even in the ponytail- and that the bandanna he wore around his head was now black instead of white. He also now wore matching black bands around his wrists.

Sachi felt her face heat up as Renji looked back at her, his eyes bright and a soft smile on his face. She had missed him so much. And it looked like he had missed her too. Sachi's heart fluttered wildly in her chest.

Suddenly a Hollow's roar came from right behind Sachi and both of them flinched. Sachi spun and brought her sword up even as Renji stepped forward to protect her from the massive Hollow that had suddenly appeared. Neither of them got the chance to do anything, however, as a bright blue arrow shot through the Hollow's face and it disintegrated with a pitiful little whimper.

Renji stood there for a moment simply blinking in shock. "Was that what I think it was?"

"That depends on what you thought it was," Sachi replied, giving Renji a cheeky grin.

Renji shot Sachi a half-hearted glare before he found himself grinning again. There was no way in hell that he could even pretend to be mad at her right now.

The air was suddenly full of blue arrows that quickly dispatched the remaining Hollows around them. Renji's attention was drawn downwards. On the bridge below he could make out the shape of the glowing blue bow that was shooting the arrows. There was no mistaking it. Definitely Quincy. There were also bright flashes of white light dancing across the bridge that Renji thought looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where he'd seen them before.

'"My friends," Sachi told Renji, a hint of pride in her voice. "You might find them kind of familiar actually," she added with a giggle as Renji frowned. "Come on, I'll introduce you."

"Hold on," Renji said before Sachi could take off down towards the bridge as Rukia's reiatsu landed behind him. "There's someone I think I should introduce you to first." Uneasiness settled in Renji's stomach as Sachi shifted a wary gaze to where Rukia stood waiting behind him. "Sachi Kurosaki…This is Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia, this is Sachi."

When Rukia Kuchiki had first learned from Renji that Ichigo had a daughter she'd done her best not to believe it. It hurt too much. But with the girl standing directly in front of her there was no way that Rukia could possibly deny her existence. And she looked so much like Ichigo it was painful. She had the same bright orange hair, the same lean build. Even the way her eyebrows knitted together as she frowned warily at Rukia was like Ichigo. And again Rukia felt that tearing pain in her chest at the knowledge that Ichigo had moved on without her and that there was absolutely no reason for her to be upset at him for doing so. And it certainly wasn't fair of Rukia to blame this child. But nagging dislike still rubbed beneath the surface of her skin.

Sachi stared at the dark haired, petite woman before her. This was the woman that her father's stories had featured so heavily. That they had truly been about. She certainly was beautiful. And she looked so much like her mother that it was eerie. Sachi heard her mother's voice echo through her mind, the things that she had so often repeated after the divorce. That Sachi's father had never really loved her. That her father had always had someone else on his mind. And Sachi couldn't help but conclude that this must have been the woman her mother was talking about. Sachi suddenly felt an irrational surge of anger at the woman, which she quickly squashed, horrified. It wasn't fair for her to dislike someone she didn't know so intensely. Even if she was the reason why her father had grown so distant like her mother said.

Rukia finally broke the silence. "I-it's nice to finally meet you, Sachi. I've heard about you from Renji." Renji was immediately alarmed at the high pitch in Rukia's voice. It was the false tone that she used in the real world around normal humans. The one that Rukia used when she was hiding her true feelings.

"Yea…it's nice to meet you too," Sachi replied. Renji was even more alarmed by the false smile that graced Sachi's face. It was barely more than a grimace.

What on Earth has he gotten himself into, Renji wondered. He really didn't want to be stuck between Sachi and Rukia. Especially when they so clearly disliked each other.

"Anyways," Sachi said, shifting her gaze to Renji. "Let's go. My friends are waiting." She then turned and headed down towards the bridge.

Renji glanced over at Rukia before following Sachi. Her inscrutable Kuchiki mask was back on, but Renji was sure she was still upset. "You ok?" he asked her quietly.

Rukia started, as if she had been lost in thought. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" she retorted, frowning at Renji. Renji didn't get the chance to answer as Rukia suddenly headed downwards, following Sachi towards the bridge. Renji sighed and then followed as well.

Sachi touched down on the bridge with Rukia Kuchiki and Renji right behind her. Before Sachi got a chance to say anything Izumi ran up. "Sachi! There you are! Wait…who're they?"

"We didn't need the help of _more_ Soul Reapers," Kenji said from behind Izumi, his tone bordering on distaste.

"Kenji," Sachi said, a warning in her tone. "These aren't just any Soul Reapers. This is Renji Abarai," Sachi said indicating the red-haired man behind her.

"You mean the guy who gave you his powers?" Izumi exclaimed excitedly before Sachi got the chance to explain. Sachi nodded and Izumi's cursory glance became a probing stare that made Renji distinctly uncomfortable.

"And this is…Rukia Kuchiki."

Izumi gasped and Kenji's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean _the_ Rukia Kuchiki?" Izumi said in awe. Sachi nodded again.

"_The_?" Rukia asked in disbelief. "It's like they know me or something," she whispered to Renji.

"They do look kind of familiar…" Renji whispered back, frowning. He could have sworn he had seen both of them before, but he was just as certain that he hadn't met these particular friends of Sachi's.

"Renji, Rukia-san," Sachi continued, turning back to her fellow Soul Reapers. "This is Izumi Sado and Kenji Ishida."

Renji and Rukia just stood there blinking in surprise for a moment.

"Sado?"

"Ishida?"

They exchanged confused glances before Izumi bounced forward. "Yea! That's us! You knew my parents and Kenji's dad right?"

"You mean Yaustora Sado and Uryuu Ishida?" Renji asked, still in shock.

"Yea! And my mom too! Her name was Tatsuki Arisawa before she married my dad."

"Tatsuki married Chad…" Rukia commented faintly.

Renji understood how Rukia felt. It wasn't just Ichigo…all of his friends and gotten married and had children. It was stupid, really, to be so surprised about. They were human after all and that's what humans did. But it was still strange to think of the people they had known so long ago as parents. Renji shook his head at his own idiocy. Honestly he should have expected it after knowing Sachi. No wonder the two teenagers looked so familiar.

Rukia seemed to have shaken off her own surprise. "It's nice to meet you both," she said with a small smile. "I take it your parents are doing well?"

"Yea!" Izumi responded enthusiastically. Kenji nodded before pushing his glasses up his nose in exactly the same manner as Uyruu always did.

"That's good to hear," Rukia continued. "But why did you make it sound like you already know who I am?"

"Our parents told us about you. About everything that happened when they were younger," Kenji answered simply.

"Yea!" Izumi added. "I mean it was all because of you right? If you hadn't met Sachi's dad then we wouldn't have our awesome powers and stuff right?"

"Speak for yourself," Renji heard Kenji mutter under his breath. Izumi turned around and punched him hard enough on the arm for him wince before looking back at Rukia eagerly.

"I-I guess," Rukia conceded, looking uncomfortable.

Renji chanced a glance at Sachi. Her expression had turned stony. He decided that it was time to move the conversation along. "So you two live in Karakura all the time right?" Renji took the two teenager's expectant looks as a cue to continue. "Well, Rukia and I are here on a mission to investigate the unusual Hollow activity that we've been picking up in the area. Are attacks like tonight normal here?"

"Why? Does Soul Society think we can't handle a few Hollows?" Kenji asked, his voice dripping scorn. Renji felt his eye twitch. This was definitely Uyuu Ishida's kid.

"Kenji, stop being mean!" Izumi scolded him. She then turned to Renji. "Actually yea. We've been getting a lot more in the past couple of years. Especially in the summer…" Izumi trailed off looking thoughtful.

"Why don't you go ask Urahara-san about it?" Sachi asked suddenly.

Both Rukia and Renji spoke at the same time, surprise in their voices.

"He's still in the area?"

"You know Urahara?"

Sachi nodded stiffly at Rukia's question before turning back to Renji. "Of course I know him. He's been training me during the summers since you left." At Renji's look of disbelief, Sachi frowned. "What? You didn't think I'd just sit around and do nothing did you?"

"O-of course not," Renji replied meekly under Sachi's suddenly piercing look.

Sachi then smirked. "I'm a lot stronger than I was, you know," she said smugly.

"I believe it," Renji replied, smiling, as pride swelled in his chest at the memory of the true Getsuga Tensho that she had used to save him just a few minutes before.

Sachi caught his look and her expression softened in return. Renji's heart sped up at her soft smile and the affection her eyes.

Rukia suddenly cleared her throat loudly. "We should probably get going if we're going to go see Urahara," she said dryly, fixing Renji with a pointed look.

"I'll go with you," Sachi said hurriedly.

Rukia looked like she wanted to argue, but Renji didn't want to leave Sachi just yet. "Sure," he replied before Rukia got the chance to.

"Great! I just need to go back home and get my body."

"Huh? How come?"

"Because I usually get up soon and go to Urahara's to train. My dad will get suspicious if he thinks I'm sleeping in," Sachi replied with a roll of her eyes. She softened the gesture by offering Renji a smile. "Come with me. It'll only take a second."

"Are you sure?" Renji asked, glancing worriedly at Rukia. Her Kuchiki mask was back on.

"Yea," Sachi replied dismissively. "It's not like he'll know you're there."

…

The sky was just beginning to lighten to the east when they reached the Kurosaki house and slipped in through Sachi's open window. As Renji dropped down to the floor inside he was again struck with nostalgia. They were in Ichigo's room and it looked exactly as it had years ago. He had only been in Ichigo's old room once before, but it still held a lot of meaning for him. It was where they had first discussed Aizen's plans after the first invasion of the Arrancars. And it was also where Rukia had stayed when she was in the real world without her powers. While that didn't mean as much as it used to it still made Renji's head spin a bit.

And if being here was affecting Renji, he couldn't even begin to imagine how Rukia felt. Her Kuchiki mask was firmly in place, but even her eyes were closed off. She would have to be really upset to completely shut her eyes off. Not that Renji blamed her in the slightest.

Renji was distracted as Sachi stood up from the bed, now in the flesh, and stretched. Despite the awkward situation they were currently in it was impossible for Renji to draw his eyes away from her lithe figure now more clearly revealed in her tighter fitting human clothing.

"Come on," Sachi said shooting a smile at Renji, apparently completely oblivious to his staring. She walked to the door and opened it.

"Should we really go downstairs? Why don't we just go out the window?" Renji asked, shooting another glance at Rukia. He hadn't been sure before, but with the door open it was clear that Ichigo was up and awake downstairs, the clinking of porcelain indicating he was washing dishes or doing something else in the kitchen. Being here was hard enough for Rukia. Could she handle seeing Ichigo when she knew that he would never know she was there?

Sachi sighed good-naturedly. "Look it's not like I'm going to hang around or anything. I just need to let my dad know that I'm heading out. And I want to grab something for breakfast real quick." Sachi then walked out the door, her feet thumping on the top of the stairs.

Renji opened his mouth to protest again, but his voice died in his throat as Rukia walked past him. "Rukia?" he asked as she approached the door. She paused briefly in the doorway, but didn't say anything before disappearing. Renji hastened to follow her.

Renji's feeling of surrealism only increased as he reached the top of the staircase. Carefully he followed Rukia down, his feet padding quietly on the stairs.

Sachi had reached the bottom. "Morning dad. I'm about to head out." Her voice, usually so expressive, sounded flat to Renji's ears.

"Sure Sachi," Ichigo replied looking up from the sink where he was indeed washing dishes, his tone tired. "Just don't stay out…too…" Ichigo's voice died as his eyes locked on the staircase. He wore an expression of pure shock. Renji and Rukia both froze as well as Ichigo's eyes bounced between them.

"Renji?...Rukia?"

**Author's Note:**

_I'm sorry! I know it took me a really long time to get this chapter out, but I was busy with my training course. And this story was at a natural stopping point, so I spent some time working on my other ones. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter anyways!_

_So it's after the time skip now and things are going to start happening. I'm super excited about it actually. In all seriousness it's going to be pretty darn exciting from here on out. And I'll also be getting into the other pairings, starting with IchiRuki. As for how Rukia and Renji look it's pretty much how they look after that big time skip in the magna so just picture them like that._

_Six reviews! To be honest I was a little disappointed. I figured that the last chapter would have had more of a response. Maybe for this one? Ahem, anyways, THANK YOU to my reviewers for the last chapter: Xxdreamergirl95xX, lizz, Luafua, Dovie-Chan, Sora'sturelover, and Red6. YOU'RE ALL AWESOME!_

_My training thing ends next week so hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently again!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

**Chapter 17: The Broken Bond**

"Renji?...Rukia?"

Ichigo Kurosaki could not- literally- believe his eyes. It had been 29 long years since he had last seen them. 29 long years since he had last had Soul Reaper powers and done more than observe the invisible world of the afterlife that existed within the real world. And here they were standing before him looking nearly identical to the last time he had seen them.

Renji Abarai and Rukia Kuchiki.

They had both aged slightly perhaps, but they didn't look more than a year or two older than they had. Renji had grown his hair out- the end of his ponytail, still as red as ever, now brushed his shoulders. And Rukia…oh, Rukia. Ichigo's breath got stuck somewhere in his throat. She was just as beautiful as she always had been. Her hair was shorter now, falling just to the bottom line of her jaw, that one stubborn bang still hanging between her eyes. She now wore off-white fingerless glove looking things that disappeared into the sleeves of her shihakusho. And on her left arm, strapped around her bicep was a badge with Squad Thirteen's crest. She had finally become a Lieutenant. Pride and joy for her swelled in Ichigo's chest.

All Renji could do for a moment was stare in shock. It had been decades since Renji had seen Ichigo, and he had been certain that they wouldn't meet again until Ichigo died and went to Soul Society. And yet there he was, standing in front of his sink with water dripping from his elbows, obviously able to see the Soul Reapers before him clear as day. A grin was quickly forming on Renji's lips. Their relationship had always been complicated. Sometimes he and Ichigo had been the best of friends and other times the worst of enemies. But they had always, _always_ had a bond formed from mutual respect, common goals, and similar personalities.

Renji threw back his head and laughed joyously. "Ichigo!" Renji hurried down the steps, brushing past Rukia's and Sachi's frozen forms. Ichigo abandoned his dishes in the sink and met Renji at the bottom of the stairs, smiling widely. They grasped each other's hands and shook vigorously before slapping each other's backs in camaraderie. "Damn it, it's good to see you again!" Renji exclaimed.

"You have no idea," Ichigo replied grinning from ear to ear as they stepped apart.

Rukia Kuchiki was in shock. She had been heartbroken when she and Ichigo had last parted, certain that it would be decades before Ichigo would be able to see her again. That was the reason why Rukia hadn't returned to Karakura before now- it hurt too much. But now this…Ichigo could see them. He could really _see_ them. Rukia's heart thundered in her chest as tears threatened spill onto her cheeks. She couldn't remember being this happy ever before in her long life.

Ichigo looked different. Of course he did though- humans aged and the like. He was taller than Rukia remembered him being, and broader in the shoulder. He had maintained his lean, lithe figure, however, despite his advancing age. He had to be in his 40's by now, Rukia thought, a bit dazed. His hair was still as thick and brightly orange as ever, but there were now streaks of gray in it. And his face…Rukia had always thought Ichigo was handsome, but when they had first come down the stairs it was clear that age had taken its toll on him. He had looked very old with lines around his mouth and eyes, his trademark scowl in place but somehow weary, as if life had taken the intensity out of it. But with him beaming at Renji it was like ten years had been knocked off and Rukia was able to see him as he must have been in his prime.

"I-Ichigo…" Rukia managed to say, her voice soft, but filled with emotion. Even this quiet utterance caught his attention, however, and he looked up at her. Rukia's heartbeat intensified and she was certain it was going to burst out of her chest as his smile and eyes softened with affection. Ichigo…Rukia loved him so much. She would not have been able to forget him or her feelings for him even if she had wanted to. And now, perhaps, she would finally get the chance to tell him how she felt.

"Hey, Rukia," Ichigo said, his own voice soft and kind as she glided down the stairs towards him. "Long time no see," he added, suddenly nervous, as he reached a hand up to scratch the back of his head.

"I guess it has been a while hasn't it?" Rukia asked, smiling playfully at him as she stopped before him at the bottom of the stairs.

She was so beautiful. Enraptured by her smile Ichigo blurted out the very next thing that popped into his head. "You look kinda like a boy with your hair like that."

'Oh shit' was the only coherent thought that Ichigo could muster as irritation flashed across Rukia's face to be replaced by a sickeningly sweet smile. "I'm sorry, I don't think I quite heard that," Rukia said her tone, as sweet as honey, promising death.

At that Ichigo snorted. He wasn't about to back down from Rukia just because he hadn't seen her in years. "You heard me. OOF!"

Ichigo doubled over, gasping for air, as Rukia withdrew her elbow from his stomach. "Oh I heard you," she growled, clenching a fist threateningly in the air. "I just didn't think that you were actually stupid enough to say it!"

Renji looked back and forth between Ichigo and Rukia. It was so similar- no it was exactly the same. It had been decades since they'd seen each other and yet they had picked up right where they left off without missing a beat. Amusement bubbled up in Renji's chest until he was doubled over with laughter, tears forming in the corners of his eyes.

"And what the hell are you laughing at?" Ichigo and Rukia shouted at Renji in unison, both turning to glare at him. Renji only laughed harder.

His laughter came to an abrupt end, however, as Sachi loudly cleared her throat. An awkward silence fell over the four of them as Sachi's eyes bounced from one person to the next. "Well…I can't say I was expecting this," she finally said, her voice sounding strangely choked. Renji was immediately alarmed as he saw the emotions flickering in her eyes. Anger, hurt, jealously, all churning in a seemingly endless cycle.

Sachi had initially been as shocked as Renji and Rukia. Her father could see them? He was supposed to be powerless wasn't he? So how could he possibly _see_ them? Once she saw her father interacting with Renji and Rukia, however, her shock had quickly turned first to a biting anger and then a deep burning jealousy that Sachi hated, was terrified of, and wanted to lose herself in all at the same time. It had been a long time since she had seen her father look so happy, so alive. And the reason for it now had absolutely nothing to do with her. She had spent countless hours with him since that fateful day and not once had her father looked as joyous as he was now. The way her father was looking at Rukia left a sickening anger in the pit of her stomach. _It's not fair._

"I any case," Sachi continued, the venom in her voice startling the other three. "We should probably hurry up and go see Urahara."

"Hold on a second. There isn't any need to rush," Ichigo responded quickly. "We can sit down and relax for a minute and catch up."

"Fine!" Sachi snapped angrily, turning away. "You three can do that, but I'm going to see Urahara!" She stalked towards the door.

"Sachi!" Ichigo commanded, his voice hard and his scowl firm. "I don't know what's wrong with you today, but stop acting like a child."

"No!" Sachi screamed back, spinning around. Ichigo was taken aback by the livid anger in her eyes. She had never looked at him like that before. She hardly ever talked back. "No, I'm sick of this, _dad!_" The sneer on the last word made Ichigo flinch. "I don't know what the hell happened but ever since my ninth birthday you've been treating me like…like…like I don't exist! And you're suddenly all happy and want to act like a dad again just because of them?" she shouted, gesturing angrily towards Renji and Rukia.

"Well screw that!" Sachi's voice lost some of its intensity as she screwed up her face, fighting back tears. "Mom was right. You never really loved her did you?" Rukia flinched as Sachi's fierce glare turned to her. "And you never really loved me…" Ichigo's heart wrenched as Sachi's gaze turned back to him, her tears finally spilling over. She bolted for the door.

"Wait! Sachi!" Ichigo yelled, but it was too late. She was already halfway down the street and running as hard as she could by the time Ichigo reached the door. Ichigo shut the door carefully and turned back around. His face was carefully controlled as he walked back to where Rukia and Renji stood stunned. Ichigo pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and collapsed into it, resting his face in his hands as he propped his elbows on his knees. "Damn it…" Ichigo muttered quietly. Then he shouted, fingers gripping his hair, grief and self-loathing in his voice. "_Damn it!"_

"Ichigo…" Rukia murmured quietly, resting a slightly hesitant hand on his shoulder. He relaxed a bit, if only just barely, at her touch. She had no idea what had just happened, but she hated to see him hurting like this.

"What happened Ichigo?" Ichigo and Rukia both looked up at Renji in surprise. His expression was hard and demanding. And his tone had almost been accusatory. "Sachi is usually so happy and carefree. But ever since I met her she's been weird about talking about you. It's like she hates your or something. And I want to know what you did that made her so angry at you."

"Renji!" Rukia began heatedly, but she fell silent as Ichigo held up a hand to stop her.

"No…it's ok Rukia. I'll tell you." Ichigo turned his haggard gaze to Renji. For a brief second Renji felt bad for demanding answers, but he quickly hardened his resolve. He had never seen Sachi so upset before and he hated to know that she was hurting that badly. So he wanted to know, once and for all, what had happened that had broken the bond between father and daughter so completely.

Ichigo sighed heavily and began his story. "I was so happy when Sachi was born. Finally a child of my own, a real family. So I doted on her. Actually, if I'm being honest, I spoiled her rotten. But it made her happy and it gave me so much joy to see her smile so much. I was with her all the time because my wife was always busy with work. She was a daddy's girl through and through. But then…it was her ninth birthday…

…_**Flashback**_**…**

"Daddy…daddy…_daddy!_"

Ichigo blinked in surprise as a sudden weight dragged down on his arm. When he looked he saw that his daughter Sachi, nine years old today, had grabbed onto his hand and was now swinging from it.

Ichigo couldn't stop himself from smiling. He loved her so much. "What is it Sachi?"

Sachi turned her best pleading puppy dog eyes on him. "Can we stop at the park?"

Ichigo's smile widened. She was so cute when she was begging him for something. Usually Ichigo would say 'no' because he had a bag of groceries that needed to get home, but today was Sachi's birthday and his wife had sent them to the grocery store for some random items they didn't really need so she could prepare for Sachi's surprise party. She wouldn't be too upset if they took a little longer, so Ichigo squatted down in front of his daughter and laid a hand on top of her head.

"Of course, Sachi. And since it's your birthday why don't I buy you some ice cream afterwards?"

Sachi's eyes lit up as she nodded enthusiastically and it was all Ichigo could do to stop himself from laughing. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed before taking off in a mad sprint down the sidewalk towards the park. "Hurry up, daddy!" she shouted over her shoulder as she ran. Ichigo chuckled fondly as he stood and followed her.

When they arrived at the park- it was an early afternoon on Saturday in the summer so it was crowded- Ichigo settled himself and his bag of groceries on a bench. He chatted with some of the other parents as he watched Sachi play, a persistent smile tugging at his lips.

That was when something in the air suddenly changed. Ichigo stiffened, alarmed. It felt familiar, horribly familiar, but it had been so long that he wasn't sure. Until the bone chilling howl echoed through the park. Ichigo was on his feet before he even had a chance to think about what he was doing.

"Kurosaki-san?" the woman he had been talking to asked, startled.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. You should probably get going too," he added as he strode towards the playground to get Sachi, leaving his bag of groceries forgotten on the bench. Over the years Ichigo had noticed that his powers were slowly returning. He still couldn't see ghosts and Hollows clearly, but he had been able to hear the howls of Hollows for several years now. Ichigio had done his best to ignore them. He couldn't fight the Hollows anyways and that wasn't his life anymore. But the one just now had sounded close.

"Sachi! _Sachi!_" Ichigo shouted at his daughter where she was playing on the swing set. She either didn't hear him or was ignoring him, however, as she made no moves to go to him. Panicked frustration welled up in Ichigo's chest as he hurried forward, his pace so quick he was nearly running. He needed to get Sachi away from here, and fast.

The tree line behind the swing set rustled wildly and Ichigo could just make out the hulking shape that emerged from it. Abandoning all pretense of calm Ichigo sprinted forward. "_SACHI!_"

This time Sachi heard him. She turned towards him smiling widely, but it faltered as she caught sight of the panic in his eyes. Confusion flickered across her features and then all hell broke loose as the Hollow charged forward and collided with the swing set, the near explosion knocking Ichigo off his feet.

He looked up again and saw the Hollow's shape through the drifting clouds of dust. The other children who had been playing on the swing set with Sachi were scattered around, most of them unconscious. The rest of the park was in pandemonium, people screaming and running wildly about it. Ichigo was focused only on the Hollow, however. And the orange-haired little girl that was unconscious at its feet.

The Hollow reached out like it intended to grab Sachi. It was difficult for Ichigo to see the Hollow still, but there was no way that he could miss the intention in the movement. Ichigo saw red. He scrambled to his feet, an inhuman roar tearing from his throat as he charged forward, his only thought being to protect his daughter. The Hollow noticed him coming and swung its arm lazily to swat him away. Too focused on where he was sure the Hollow's face had to be Ichigo didn't notice the arm until it caught him in the chest, sending him flying.

With the reflexes that he had honed during his battles as a Soul Reaper still embedded in his muscle memory Ichigo managed to flip over in the air and land in an awkward squat. He dashed forward again immediately, his only goal being to get to Sachi before the Hollow ate her. The Hollow roared again as its swung at him, Ichigo successfully dodging every attack as he made for Sachi. But then, suddenly, Ichigo felt the air pressure behind him change as something else swung at his back. The Hollow must have had a tail that Ichigo didn't notice because he couldn't see it clearly. Ichigo glanced over his shoulder, dread settling in his stomach as he realized it was too late for him to dodge.

And then…nothing. The Hollow shifted, confused, as he tried to push the stupid human who was interrupting his meal out of the way. But no matter how hard he beat his tail against it, it wouldn't move. Growing irritated, the Hollow moved its tail out of the way and drew back one massive fist. It thrust its arm forward, but before it could make contact pain exploded from its shoulder. The Hollow reared back, screaming in agony, as blood sprayed from the stump of its shoulder where its arm had just been. The human dropped the Hollow's arm behind it, blood dripping sluggishly from where it had been ripped from the rest of its body, as the Hollow watched with wide eyes.

The human, or what should have been human, looked up at the Hollow and cracked its neck. The Hollow shuffled back a couple steps as it felt the dark, heavy reiatsu radiating from the not-human. And on the not-human's face there was a thick white substance interspersed with red lines, slowly oozing from the corner of its eyes, hardening to cover the left side of its face. The Hollow shivered involuntarily as it caught a glimpse of the not-human's eyes. Black with bright gold irises.

The not-human cocked its head to the side, its mouth spreading into a grotesquely wide grin. "You're not very smart are you?" it asked, a strange warble in its voice that was not quite human and not quite something else. "Otherwise you wouldn't be messing with me."

The Hollow backed up several more steps as the not-human advanced forward. The Hollow wasn't very smart, but even with its modicum of intelligence it knew that this being was dangerous. The Hollow turned to run, choosing to flee and live for another day, but it was stopped as a hand closed onto its other arm. The Hollow was unable to pull away, the not-human being too strong for it to do so.

"I don't think so." The not-human laughed as it tugged on the Hollow's arm and spun it around. The Hollow was unable to even catch its balance before the not-human's hand was in its face. The not-human drew back one finger and flicked, the tip of the finger smashing into the Hollow's mask and cracking it. The last thing the Hollow knew was excruciating pain as it disintegrated into nothing.

Ichigo's Hollow dropped his hand once the Hollow was gone. He had never had a name and he didn't think he needed one. He was simply another being which existed inside of Ichigo's soul, though he had been lying dormant for a very long time. But not anymore. Man, it felt good to be free again, he thought, as he stretched. And without Zangetsu around Ichigo was weak. That meant that it was finally Ichigo's Hollow's turn to be King. He smiled wickedly at the thought.

Turning around he spotted the orange hair of Ichigo's daughter. She was lying on the ground, as still as death, unconscious. Ichigo's Hollow cocked his head to the side curiously. "So this little brat is the reason you attacked that Hollow without a second thought? Idiot. You're lucky I'm still around or we'd both be dead." Ichigo's Hollow stepped forward until he was looming above the girl. "She's quite pretty," Ichigo's Hollow observed. Then he smirked. "I'd bet she'd look even prettier covered in her own blood."

Ichigo's Hollow didn't even get the chance to move as Ichigo's rage exploded inside of him. For several long minutes they fought for control, Ichigo's Hollow screeching shrilly as Ichigo's hands scrabbled at his face, trying desperately to remove the still forming mask. Finally Ichigo won, pushing his Hollow's consciousness back down into the back of his mind where it belonged. Ichigo ripped the mask from his face and collapsed to his hands and knees panting, the mask disintegrating in his fingers.

_You win this time, King, _Ichigo's Hollow warned him, sneering. _But I'm awake now. And I _will_ be back._

…_**End flashback**_**…**

Rukia and Renji had been stunned into silence by Ichigo's story. His Hollow had somehow managed to survive the loss of his powers?

Ichigo sighed heavily as he ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair. "He was true to his word. I kept hearing him- I still hear him now sometimes even. I was terrified that one day I would let my guard down and he would take over again and then I wouldn't be able to do anything to stop him from hurting my wife or Sachi. I…I couldn't take that risk. So I pulled away. I figured the only was to protect them was to distance myself from them. It's worked so far, but, well, you've seen what it has done to my relationship with them." Ichigo laughed hollowly.

"Ichigo…" Rukia breathed. She shouldn't be surprised. Ichigo was the bravest and most selfless person she had ever known. And he had done it again, sacrificing his happiness and his family in order to keep them safe. Rukia blinked away tears as she thought about how much it must have cost him do so.

"Ichigo," Renji began slowly, fixing him with a steady gaze. "I understand why you did what you did now. And I admire you for it. But you never considered what it did to Sachi."

Ichigo inhaled sharply as Rukia bristled, ready to lash out at Renji. So naturally, she was taken aback, when Ichigo nodded in agreement. "I know," he replied despondently. "I never would have imagined that she would resentment me this much for it."

"You betrayed her, Ichigo." Ichigo flinched at Renji's words, refusing to maintain eye contact. "She loved you more than anything and then you pulled away. I never saw her look so sad as when she told me about it before or since. She thinks you abandoned her, Ichigo."

Ichigo didn't respond, only staring at the floor with such a remorseful and pained expression that Renji felt a bit guilty. Renji then moved forward, pausing to rest a sympathetic hand on Ichigo's shoulder. Ichigo looked up as he opened the front door.

"Where are you going?"

"To look for Sachi."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"No," Renji glanced over his shoulder. "You have to explain it to her, Ichigo, not me," he said firmly. And then he was gone too, the door swinging shut behind him.

Ichigo and Rukia were quiet for a moment. Then Rukia began to fume, growling angrily about disrespectful children and morons with red hair. Suddenly Ichigo interrupted her tirade. "No, Rukia. He's right," he said, smiling sadly.

"But Ichigo," Rukia protested. "It's not fair. And it's not true. You did it all for your family."

"You're partly right, but they're partly right too," Ichigo sighed in reply, leaning back in his chair. "And one thing in particular Sachi hit pretty much dead on."

Rukia cocked her head to the side in confusion and Ichigo's expression became rueful. "It's not so much that I never loved my wife, I guess…but there was always someone else. Someone I couldn't forget about even if I'd wanted to."

Rukia's breath caught in her throat and her heart began to race as Ichigo captured her eyes with his own. The expression in them was so warm, so tender…Rukia was certain her insides were going to melt.

"Rukia…" Ichigo said, his tone bordering on husky. He reached up with one hand and cupped her cheek. Rukia didn't fight the urge to lean into his touch. "It was always you Rukia. I loved you then and I still love you know. I couldn't forget you no matter how hard I tried." Suddenly a ghost of his old smirk graced Ichigo's lips. "Sorry it took me so long to realize it."

Rukia's throat was too choked with emotion for her to respond. So, after standing there for a brief moment, she took Ichigo's face in both hands and brought her lips squarely down on his. Ichigo froze for a moment, surprised, before reciprocating and wrapping his arms around Rukia's small frame.

Rukia just barely pulled away after a long moment that she would have been happy to have last forever. "I love you too," she whispered, her lips brushing against Ichigo's as she spoke. "Idiot."

…

When Renji found her Sachi was sitting on a bench in the park where the "gas explosion" had occurred all those years ago. She had her knees drawn up against her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she sulked. Now she felt kind of embarrassed for getting so upset, but it hadn't been quite long enough for her to care yet. She was just so angry and jealous. It wasn't fair that seeing Rukia and Renji again could make her dad happy, but he never smiled at her anymore. _She_ couldn't make him happy. Sachi buried her face in her knees as she fought the urge to cry again.

Sachi didn't look up as Renji sat down on the bench beside her. "So…how are you doing?" Renji asked carefully.

"What do you care?" Sachi snapped back petulantly. "Why aren't you back there hanging out with my dad and Rukia? Since he clearly prefers your company…"

Sachi heard Renji sigh and then shift. She stiffened as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Listen Sachi. I understand why you feel the way you do. What Ichigo did wasn't fair, but he wasn't trying to hurt you. He actually had a pretty good reason for it."

"Of course he did," Sachi scoffed. "And of course he told _you_." She sniffled loudly as the tears threatened to fall again.

Renji sighed again before giving Sachi's shoulders a gentle shake. "You just need to talk to him," Renji told Sachi firmly. Sachi finally looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. "You're too old to be sulking like this. Just go and talk to Ichigo. Once you do I'm sure you'll understand too. You may not be able to forgive him right away, but I'm sure you can start to fix your relationship. Just give it some time."

"Renji…" Sachi almost couldn't believe she was hearing this from him. The hotheaded man she had fallen in love with, the one who typically preferred to settle disputes through fighting rather than negotiation was telling her to go and talk it out.

Renji smiled at Sachi. "And even if it doesn't work out I'll still be here for you. I'm on your side, Sachi."

Sachi's feelings for Renji suddenly swelled up in her chest, drowning out her pain and anger. Impulsively she hugged him, wrapping her arms around him and holding on tight. Renji was too surprised to do anything for a moment and then he hugged her back, reveling in the feeling of her warmth. Renji didn't know how long they stayed like that, but when Sachi pulled away she offered him a weak smile.

"Feeling better?" Renj asked kindly.

"Not really," Sachi admitted. "But you're right. I'm too old for this." Sachi suddenly stood, her body language decisive.

"Of course I'm right," Renji replied smirking.

Sachi turned a playful glare on him before lightly punching his arm. "Shut up. Anyways, we should get going if we're going to go see Urahara."

"Right," Renji replied, grinning, as he stood as well.

And that was when a massive reiatsu descended over Karakura. Sachi was frozen in place as sweat dripped down the back of her neck and cold fear settled in her gut. She had never felt anything like this before. It was somehow like a Hollow and somehow not. But whatever it was it was undeniably powerful.

Beside her Sachi heard Renji draw in a sharp breath. She looked at him, confused, but his eyes were focused on the sky, searching for the source of the suffocating power.

…

High above Karakura something in the air rippled. It rippled again and then tore, creating a yawning black mouth in the fabric of the sky itself. From within the gaping wound came the sound of steady footsteps. Slowly the figure emerged into the early morning sunlight. He was dressed all in white, a sword hung from his hip, and his hands rested casually in his pockets. A gentle breeze ruffled bright blue hair, as electric blue eyes scanned the world before him. His mouth stretched into a predatory grin, revealing sharp, white teeth as he realized where he was.

"It's about damn time…"

**Author's Note:**

_Yay another chapter! And seriously, I LOVE it. I know I wrote it so my opinion doesn't really count, but this chapter is freaking awesome. I just love how easily this story flows when I write it. I hope you enjoyed it too! And a bunch a really important stuff happened that I bet you weren't expecting! I told you that it would get exciting after the time skip :). Plus all the lovely fluffiness. And in case you were wondering Ichigo is 45 in this._

_And if you can't guess who the new arrival at the end of the chapter is I'm going to go ahead and tell you…it' s Grimmjow! That's right I'm bringing Grimmjow into this and he will be a main-ish character. Why? Because he's awesome and I love him. Seriously he's one of my top three favorite characters and he is far and away my favorite Espada/Arrancar._

_Eight reviews! That's better! Not perfect, but better! Anyways THANK YOU SO MUCH to RJM, Sora'struelover, peace love and books, ByEvelyn, Shadow knight1121, fearlessX1025, RedtheAmazing, and Luafua! And I think everyone who reads this chapter should review it because it's just that awesome. But, seriously, please review?_

_It shouldn't be too long before I get the next chapter up! I'm SUPER freaking excited!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_**WARNING: **__Lots and lots of cussing in this chapter. Why? Because Grimmy has a dirty mouth._

**Chapter 18: Grudges**

As soon as Renji felt that spiritual pressure he knew they were in trouble. It was a Hollow's, an Arrancar's- one of Aizen's Espadas. The Sixth one of he remembered correctly. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. It was not official in Soul Society that any of the Espadas had survived so how he was now in Karakura Renji had no idea. But Renji did know that Grimmjow had a beef with a certain orange-haired ex-Soul Reaper. And that meant that Renji's top priority had to be to keep him away from Ichigo. And, Renji thought, away from Sachi.

Sachi sent Renji a questioning look as he glanced back at her. He looked worried and that almost alarmed Sachi more than the fact that a massive, malicious reiatsu had just appeared in Karakura.

"Stay here Sachi."

Sahci stared back at Renji wide-eyed. "What? You're joking right?"

"No. I'm not. That's one of Aizen's Espadas." Sachi gasped. She recognized that term. "They were the most powerful opponents I or your dad ever faced. It's too much for you to handle." There was no way that Renji was going to let Sachi be in danger with this. The thought made his blood run cold and his stomach churn.

Unfortunately for Renji, Sachi was thinking the exact same thing. "Then that's all the more reason for me to come with you! I'm not staying here!" To back up her statement Sachi pulled the yowling spirit badge from her pocket and pressed it against her chest before Renji could stop her.

There was no way Sachi was going to let Renji fight alone. This enemy was strong, definitely stronger than any she had ever faced. But she was stronger too. Sachi was certain that if they fought together she and Renji would be able to take it. And there was no way that Sachi was going to let Renji run off and get himself killed right after they were reunited. The thought caused Sachi to swallow thickly as tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.

Sachi suddenly turned and shot off in the direction of the Espada's reiatsu. Renji gasped, too shocked to do anything for a moment, before taking off after her. "Sachi! Damn it, Sachi wait!" he shouted. When he finally did catch her Renji closed a hand around hers and pulled her to a stop.

"What the hell are you doing?" Renji shouted, fear fueling his anger.

Sachi turned a heated glare on him. "I'm not a kid anymore Renji! I'm strong enough to handle stuff like this on my own. And I'm not about to let you run off and die just because you feel like you need to protect me!" she screamed back at him.

Renji blinked blankly at Sachi for a moment, completely taken a back. His confusion turned to remorse as Sachi suddenly turned away from him, but not before he caught a glimpse of the tears filling the corners of her eyes.

"You're right. I'm sorry Sachi," Renji said, more quietly this time. "You're not a kid anymore and you are stronger."

Sachi sniffled loudly before turning back to look at Renji, her tears wiped from her eyes. "Thank you," she replied, a touch of petulance in her voice that Renji ignored because of the big smile she was wearing.

Renji returned it briefly before becoming serious again. "But the fact is you don't really understand what we're up against. This isn't like the Arrancar we fought in Nagasaki. An Espada is on a completely different level. That's why I want you to stay back when we face him. Let me handle it, ok? I don't want you to get hurt…I don't think I could handle it."

Renji didn't look away as he said the last sentence, his tone pleading. Sachi's heart thundered in her chest at the sincerity in his eyes. "Ok," she agreed, a little breathlessly. She had forgotten how Renji's gaze could affect her. "But if you get into trouble I'm going to help you whether you like it or not."

At that, Renji grinned. "Ok. Fair enough." Renji released Sachi's hand and started forward again. "Come, on let's hurry."

…

Grimmjow threw back his head and laughed. He couldn't believe his luck! He was back in that stupid little dump of a human town and he could finally, _finally_, get back at that bastard Ichigo Kurosaki. Grimmjow's predatory grin widened as he took of into a fast sonido. Now all he had to do was hunt him down and then the fun could begin.

Grimmjow's progress quickly ended, however, as he felt the reiatsu of Soul Reapers. Two of them, approaching quickly. Grimmjow stopped, frowning, and waited for them to show up and a few seconds later they did. One, female, stopped a good distance away. The other, a male with red hair that looked vaguely familiar, kept coming until he was about ten yards away where he came to a stop as well.

Grimmjow and the Soul Reaper stared each other down. The Soul Reaper looked angry, his face hard. Grimmjow was careful to make sure he maintained an air of casualness, pasting on the most bored and indifferent expression in his arsenal. These two were _not_ a threat and he wanted to make sure they knew it.

Finally the Soul Reaper spoke. "You're Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, right? Aizen's Sixth Espada?"

"Yea. Except I don't answer to that fucker Aizen anymore." Grimmjow grinned. "_I'm_ king of Hueco Mundo now!"

Grimmjow felt satisfied by the surprise that flickered briefly across the Soul Reaper's face before being replaced by his hard mask. "What're you doing here?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business. Who the hell are you anyways?" Grimmjow's grin widened as the Soul Reaper's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad Six. And it _is_ my business if there's a Hollow in the real world."

Irritation flashed through Grimmjow followed by a surge of hot anger. How dare this stupid ass Soul Reaper try to screw around in his business? There was something wriggling around in Grimmjow's memory, however. This Soul Reaper was familiar…

Renji had to stop himself from taking a step back as Grimmjow suddenly threw back his head and laughed. "I recognize you now! You're Kurosaki's friend, one of the idiots that got thrashed by Szayel Aporro before your Captains showed up!"

A fresh wave of annoyance surged through Renji as Grimmjow continued to laugh. "Just answer my question already, damn it!" he shouted, finally snapping.

Grimmjow took his time letting the last of the chuckles escape as Renji silently fumed in front of him. Once Grimmjow had himself under control again he turned serious, matching Renji's glare. "I told you already, it isn't any of your business."

Sachi wasn't sure what to make of the confrontation in front of her. Renji and the Espada were clearly familiar with each other somehow. The Espada was a tall and very muscular man. His messy hair was a brilliant blue, his eyes an even more electric shade of the same color. There were teal markings around the outside corners of his eyes and his mask, shaped like the jaw of a carnivorous beast, covered his right cheek and jaw. Sachi would be lying if she said that she didn't think he was attractive despite what he was. Grimmjow's outfit was white just as the Arrancar in Nagasaki's had been. He wore hakamas and a jacket left open to reveal his impressively muscular torso, minus the hole in his abdomen. Sachi's eyes lingered on his chest, inspecting the massive scar that covered it. According to his stories Sachi's father was the one who gave it to him.

Sachi's eyes snapped back to Renji as he spoke again. "And I told _you_ already. Any Hollow in the real world _is _my business."

Grimmjow seemed to consider it for a moment. "I've been wondering why so many Hollows have been coming here recently," he answered, matching Renji's glare haughtily. "So I decided to come and check it out myself."

Renji did his best to hide his surprise. Grimmjow wasn't the cause of the unusual Hollow activity? He didn't even know what was going on even despite the fact he claimed to be their king? That could not be good. "What a coincidence," Renji said, doing his best to sound casual. "That's what we're investigating too. You can go home, I think we've got it under control."

Grimmjow didn't do anything for a moment. And then suddenly he charged, his grin now psychotic. Renji tried to jump out of the way, but he wasn't fast enough. "I don't think so, Soul Reaper," Grimmjow whispered to him, before delivering a blow powerful enough to send Renji flying end over end.

"Renji!" Sachi shouted, her heart in her throat as she started forward.

Renji managed to right himself in the air and reestablish a plane to stand on, his feet skidding across thin air as he came to a stop. "I'm ok!" Renji shouted and he was relieved to see her stop.

Renji really was ok, but it had been close. If he hadn't halfway-unsheathed Zabimaru when he had he'd probably be going through multiple organ failure. Things still looked bad though. Fighting Grimmjow would be tough at any time, but right now, with his instincts still dull and a good portion of his reiatsu sealed away, things were looking particularly grim.

And it seemed that Grimmjow knew it. "Come on Soul Reaper! Is that all you've got?" he shouted, shifting his weight from foot to foot like a boxer before charging again. "I haven't gotten the chance to destroy any Soul Reapers in a long while!"

Renji fully unsheathed his zanpakuto and met Grimmjow's attack head on. Sachi watched nervously. Renji was meeting all of Grimmjow's strikes blow for blow, but it was clear he was outmatched. Grimmjow was toying with him.

Grimmjow sent Renji flying again and once he regained his footing Renji released his zanpakuto. "That's it Soul Reaper!" Grimmjow shouted, demented joy in every syllable as Renji briefly put him on the defense, forcing him to duck and weave around Zabimaru's strikes.

Suddenly Grimmjow put on an extra burst of speed, moving so quickly that Sachi briefly lost track of him with her eyes. Renji went flying again. "Damn it!" he hissed as he got back on his feet. This wasn't working. Renji really only had once choice left. "Ban-!"

Renji's voice died in his throat as Grimmjow suddenly appeared above him, a charged cero in his hand. "I don't think so, Soul Reaper," he said, his grin sadistic. Renji didn't even have time curse as he brought Zabimaru up to guard. Grimmjow released the cero.

"Renji!" Sachi screamed, horrified, as the force of Grimmjow's explosive attack sent Renji slamming into the street with enough force to create a crater. Grimmjow laughed before leaning forward like he was about to charge again. Oh _hell_ no, Sachi thought angrily, drawing Tengetsu as she leapt forward. She stopped right in front of Grimmjow, purposely blocking Renji from his view and Grimmjow paused, blinking at her in surprise and a trivial amount of curiosity.

"Who the fuck are you?" Grimmjow asked.

"The Soul Reaper who's gonna kick your ass," she replied, glaring.

For a moment Grimmjow wasn't sure how to take what the girl before him had just said. But then he grinned. He liked the look in her eyes. "Is that so?" Grimmjow inspected her more closely. She was a pretty thing. And there was something…very familiar…about her orange hair.

Renji coughed violently as the dust around his crater cleared. That had been way too close…again. If he hadn't gotten Zabimaru up when he did he probably would have been dead. As it was he was bleeding from several wounds as well as being burned from the cero in several places.

As Renji struggled to sit up he suddenly felt gentle hands underneath his arms helping him. Alarmed, he looked around wildly until he spotted a familiar, beautiful face. "Inoue?"

"Hi Abarai-kun," she said, smiling down at him. "Long time no see." She helped Renji sit the rest of the way up and then examined his injuries with a critical eye. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright I need to…" Renji trailed off as he stood up and then promptly fell back down, wincing. His right leg was bruised, and badly. He would be able to stand, but just barely. Shit! He couldn't leave Sachi up there by herself. "Sachi!" he shouted, turning his eyes upward. He was both irritated and worried when all she did was look down at him and wave before turning to look back at Grimmjow.

"Damn it!" Renji growled, trying to stand again, but Orihime laid a hand on his shoulder and kept him sitting. "What are you doing?" Renji snapped at her. "I need to go help her! What are you doing around here anyways?"

"Soten Kisshun," Orihime murmured before looking back up at Renji and smiling. "I recognized Grimmjow's reiatsu as soon as he appeared, so I figured I'd better come in case anyone needed some help. And don't worry about Sachi. She's strong."

"Yes, I know that, but-!" Renji protested.

But Orihime interrupted him. "I mean it. Urahara had me come in a lot to heal both of them during their training sessions. She's very, very strong. She can handle this, Abarai-kun."

Renji wanted to argue with her, but there was no way he could deny the absolute certainty on Orihime's face. He was saved by having to respond by someone else's shout.

"Orihime-san!"

Both Orihime and Renji turned to see Izumi and Kenji running up the street towards them. "Orihime-san!" Izumi cried again. "And Abarai-san," she added as she pulled even with them, slight surprise coloring her tone.

"Izumi-chan, Kenji-chan, it's good to see you both," Orihime replied, smiling fondly up at them.

"Orihime-san, who's that?" Kenji asked as he adjusted his glasses, his gaze turned skyward.

Izumi looked too. "It's Sachi! But who is she fighting…? Should we go help her or-!"

"No," Orihime said sharply, fixing both teenagers with firm gazes. Renji jumped a bit along with Izumi and Kenji. He'd never heard Orihime speak like that before. "That man up there is an Espada, like the ones your fathers fought when they came to Hueco Mundo to rescue me. I'm afraid neither of you would be very much help to Sachi against him." Izumi and Kenji both nodded in agreement looking thoroughly chastised, choosing instead to turn their worried gazes upwards.

"How did you learn to do that?" Renji whispered, honestly curious.

Orihime gave him a confused look for a moment before breaking out in an amused smile. "Oh. I'm a teacher at the high school," she said with a giggle. Ah yes, Renji thought, that would explain it.

"Inoue!" Everyone turned again at the sound of yet another voice.

"Dad!" Izumi shouted, waving.

Renji watched, amazed, as Yasutora Sado ran up with Uryuu Ishida close on his heels. "Izumi, there you are," Chad said. "And...Abarai?"

"What? Abarai?" Uryuu asked, panting.

"Ishida…" Renji began, gaping at Uryuu's snow-white locks. "What happened to your hair?"

Uryuu snorted irritably as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "What do you think happened? I got older," he snapped.

"Right, sorry," Renji grumbled sarcastically, turning his own annoyed gaze away. Orihime covered her mouth to hide another giggle.

"Dad, Sachi's going to fight up there, but Orihime-san said we couldn't help," Izumi said, turning her worried eyes on her father.

"She's right, Izumi," Chad told his daughter, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Yes," Uryuu agreed from beside his son. "This should be interesting. I haven't seen Sachi fight in a while," he added thoughtfully.

Unease settled in Renji's gut as he trained his gaze upwards again. From the way everyone was talking Sachi would be an even match for Grimmjow. But Renji was still worried. Grimmjow had been a formidable opponent decades ago and Ichigo had fought very hard to beat him. Who knew how much stronger he had gotten over the years?

Grimmjow measured the girl before him carefully with his eyes. Her zanpakuto was enormous, easily as long as she was tall, but she held it with the casual grip of someone who was accustomed to wielding it. Her reiatsu was quite impressive as well, though it was clear that she hadn't even begun to really release it. Grimmjow's grin widened. This could definitely be fun.

"What's your name, Soul Reaper?" Grimmjow asked.

"Don't tell him Sachi!"

Sachi turned, frowning, at the sound of Renji's shout. She was surprised by the amount of fear in his eyes as he stared up at her along with Orihime-san, Izumi, Kenji, Chad-san, and Ishida-san. They were attracting an audience.

"Kick his ass, Sachi!" Izumi cheered.

Sachi smiled at her friend's exuberance and turned back to Grimmjow. She didn't know why Renji had told her not to say her name, but she didn't see any reason not too. "Sachi Kurosaki."

Sachi was taken aback as a myriad of emotions flashed across Grimmjow's face. Shock, anger, hatred, disbelief, and then…amusement. Grimmjow burst out in uproarious, psychotic laughter. He was laughing so hard that he bent over, hands clutching his stomach. Down below on the ground Renji silently cursed. This was _exactly_ why he hadn't wanted Sachi to tell the ex-Espada her name. He was certain that she was now on his vendetta list just because of who her father was.

Sachi finally snapped. "What's so damn funny?" she growled angrily.

Grimmjow managed to control himself enough to answer. "That stupid bastard…that stupid mother fucking _bastard_ fucking reproduced!" He continued to laugh.

"So what!" Sachi shouted hotly, her temper rising.

Grimmjow finally stopped laughing. "The real world is a regular fucking riot this time around," he said to himself, chuckling a bit. "Nothing! It's just you damn humans…" Grimmjow shook his head, grinning. "It's not really that important. Let's go, Kurosaki brat!" he shouted, charging.

Sachi mentally cursed as she brought Tengetsu up to meet Grimmjow's charge. They traded several blows, Grimmjow on the offensive, delivering a flurry of punches. Sachi matched him blow for blow, but it wasn't easy. He was very fast. And no matter how hard Sachi tried she couldn't cut him. Damn it, she thought angrily. Why can't I cut him? Then she remembered something from her father's stories. The Arrancar's skin…she couldn't remember what her father had called it, but it was very hard. Ok, fine then. She would just have to step it up a notch.

Rather than blocking Grimmjow's next punch Sachi ducked and swung Tengetsu as hard as she could, aiming for Grimmjow's torso. Instinct took over and, rather than letting the girl's zanpakuto hit him and slide off his hierro, Grimmjow jumped away, giving the massive sword a wide berth. Sachi took advantage of her opening.

"Rend! Tengetsu!"

Grimmjow raised his arm to protect his face as the wind from the girl's release raged around him. When the air had calmed his grin turned predatory. This was _definitely_ going to be fun. The girl now stood before him with her released zanpakuto. It was smaller and shorter now, its form halfway between a sword and a pole weapon. Her reiatsu had increased exponentially as well.

Sachi suddenly charged, zanpakuto raised high over her head to strike. Grimmjow raised his arms to block, not worried in the least. Until pain suddenly exploded from his forearm. Grimmjow hurriedly leapt away, opposite hand gripping at his injury as blood dripped between his fingers.

"Oh dear," Sachi said, resting her zanpakuto on her shoulders. "It's a good thing you got out of the way when you did. Otherwise you wouldn't have that hand anymore." She smirked widely.

Grimmjow growled angrily, rage building inside his chest. "Shut the hell up! This injury is nothing." He reached for his own zanpakuto, allowing the steel blade to screech as he ripped it from its sheath. "And if you think you can kill me just because you gave me a little cut you're in big fucking trouble," he snarled.

Sachi should have been afraid of the sadistically insane glint in Grimmjow's eye, but she wasn't. Adrenaline was pumping through her blood stream as her reiatsu surged around her. It was more than just thinking she could do this- Sachi wanted to do this. If Sachi was being honest with herself she enjoyed fighting, that feeling of being on the razor's edge between life and death in the middle of battle. Sachi found herself grinning almost as widely as Grimmjow as she raised a hand, cocked a finger, and beckoned Grimmjow forward. Bring it on.

Renji watched in awe as the fight began again. Sachi really had gotten stronger. She was incredible. She and Grimmjow were still matching each other blow for blow, but the fight was a lot messier now. Blood went flying through the air as they began to cut each other, a little nick here, a little stab there. But soon it became clear that Grimmjow was beginning to overpower Sachi.

"Sachi!" Renji's stomach twisted with anxiety as Grimmjow, laughing like a maniac, swung his sword hard. Sachi couldn't get her own zanpakuto up in time and Grimmjow's bit deep into Sachi's shoulder. She leapt away, wincing.

"Renji!" Dread froze Renji in place for a moment as he recognized Rukia's voice. And if Rukia were here then Ichigo would be too.

"Rukia!" Orihime cried, overjoyed, as Rukia stopped beside her, panting.

"Hey, Inoue," Rukia greeted, smiling. "But if you're down here…" Rukia began, turning her gaze to Renji. "Who's…?"

"Sachi!" Ichigo's shout was choked with fear as he stared upwards, eyes trained on his daughter's figure. What the hell was she doing up there? Why was she fighting Grimmjow? Why was Grimmjow even here? "What the hell, Renji? Why is Sachi up there fighting him? He's going to kill her!" Ichigo, his eyes wild, grabbed the front of Renji's shihakusho and dragged him to his feet.

Rukia tried to pull Ichigo off of Renji, but Renji pushed her away. "I was stupid enough to get hurt and she stepped in. She won't back down. She wants to fight him."

"You idiot!" Ichigo shouted, pushing Renji away and forcing him to stumble backwards. "Get away from him right now, Sachi!" Ichigo shouted towards his daughter again, desperate to get her out of harm's way.

Sachi froze as her father's voice reached her ears. She glanced around hurriedly, spotting him below her, her eyes drawn to his hair. What the hell was he doing here? And did he really think she was just going to let Grimmjow waltz around Karakura just because he said so? Was he crazy?

But Ichigo's shout didn't just draw Sachi's attention. Grimmjow froze as well as the familiar voice reached his ears. A shiver of excitement raced across Grimmjow's skin as his eyes easily found the man the voice belonged to. Ichigo Kurosaki. He had been waiting for this moment for a very long time. And now it had come. Ichigo stood below him, his face contorted in fear and desperation. He was locked inside his human skin without a drop of reiatsu to his name. Grimmjow's grin stretched to inhuman proportions. He could finally, _finally_ have his revenge.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Pleasure flashed through Grimmjow as Ichigo flinched at the sound of his voice. "We finally meet again! And this time, I'm going to kill you!" Grimmjow threw himself forward, racing towards the ground and his new target. Anticipation flooded through his veins as blood pounded in his ears.

Sachi experienced a brief moment of panic as Grimmjow suddenly darted towards the ground, his gaze trained on her father. That's when she remembered some more of her father's stories. And Grimmjow's vendetta. Sachi threw herself forward as well, desperation making her feet fly faster than ever before. If she didn't get there in time her father was a dead man. And even though Sachi was still angry with her father she didn't want him to die. She didn't want that at all.

Sachi pulled even with Grimmjow, but he was so focused on Ichigo that he didn't notice. Well, Sachi thought scowling. We can't have that. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Grimmjow saw the massive wave of reiatsu coming out of the corner of his eye. He didn't notice it in time to block so he was forced to dodge, backtracking as fast as his feet could carry him. The bottom of his hakamas still got singed, however. Grimmjow turned a furious glare on Sachi who now stood between him and his target, her own expression bordering on murderous.

Rage boiled through Grimmjow. "How fucking sweet," he sneered his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The little girl races to her daddy's rescue. You humans make me fucking sick!" Grimmjow brandished his sword in Sachi's direction. He was shaking with barely contained fury.

"No." Grimmjow blinked in surprise at the calm tone in Sachi's voice. But her eyes were still razor sharp- angry. "I didn't do it to save my dad." Grimmjow glared in surprise at this. "You're fighting me, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. If you want to kill my father then do it _after_ you finish me off!" Sachi smirked as she continued. "But I guess I haven't been making this interesting enough for you. Let me see if I can fix that."

Grimmjow scowled in confusion as Sachi raised her zanpakuto so that it was straight out in front of her, the tip pointed directly at his heart. It wasn't until her reiatsu began to skyrocket that he realized what exactly she was doing. "Bankai!"

Sachi's reiatsu exploded. Izumi and Kenji were both knocked to the ground and Ichigo would have been too if Rukia hadn't grabbed him around the waist to keep him upright. A fierce wind buffeted them all relentlessly for several seconds before it finally died down and everyone stared upwards in astonishment.

Sachi stood in the middle of a lazily spinning circle of black reiatsu lined with blue. Her zanpakuto was now a naginata with two blades, one on each end of the staff. The blades and the staff were all solid black and a dark blue ribbon fluttered in the breeze created by Sachi's reiatsu from where it was attached below the blade pointed at Grimmjow. The weapon was massive and should have been far too large for Sachi to wield, but as she spun it casually with one hand and brought it down to rest at her side it was clear that she was completely in control of it.

Sachi's clothing had changed too. She no longer wore just a Soul Reaper's standard shihakusho- there was now traditional Japanese lacquer armor covering her upper body. She had the chest piece, well fitted shoulder guards, as well as arm and hand guards. All the pieces of the armor were as black as her weapon, the trimmings in blue.

And as for her reiatsu..."Wow…" Izumi murmured, echoing everyone else's thoughts.

Ichigo was having trouble breathing. He was certain his knees were going to buckle any second from the pressure. Ichigo couldn't believe that Sachi had become this powerful. But his fear for her had not dimmed in the slightest. Grimmjow had yet to reveal his own powers and Ichigo knew from experience how strong they were.

Renji was in awe. He could hardly believe that this was really Sachi. The girl he had trained two years ago in Nagasaki now stood before him after releasing a fully-fledged bankai. There was a strange mixture of emotions swelling in his chest. Pride. Joy. And love. How he loved her. She was always surprising him, always impressing him with her will to get stronger. And he would never get tired of her surprising him.

Grimmjow would admit- grudgingly- that he was impressed. The girl's banaki was truly a sight to behold. And her reiatsu…it was at least as high, if not higher, than Ichigo's had been the first time Grimmjow had faced him. Grimmjow began to grin again, the expression stretching so wide that his face couldn't contain it. He began to laugh again. "This is fucking great!"

Sachi narrowed her eyes at Grimmjow. It was clear that he was deranged, but what the hell was he so excited about now?

"This…this will be a real fight! You have no idea how long it has been since anyone was strong enough to really challenge me," Grimmjow said, his shoulders still shaking with poorly contained laughter. "This is perfect. I can kill you in front of that bastard and then kill him!" Grimmjow let his insane laughter loose again, reveling in his own mirth.

Sachi waited until Grimmjow had calmed down again. "Fine," she agreed coldly. "But you don't touch my dad until you've killed me."

"I'm not planning on it," Grimmjow replied, crouching with his sword held out in front of him, a wicked grin on his face.

Sachi glanced back at the ground. "But we're moving somewhere else."

Grimmjow's grin faltered a bit. "And why the hell should I do that?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

Sachi sighed irritably. "I know you don't give a damn, but I'd prefer not to destroy the town," she replied, fixing him with a scowl so reminiscent of Ichigo's that it was eerie. "Follow me," she said, taking off in shunpo without a backward glance.

Grimmjow looked back at the ground where everyone else was watching them, stunned. Grimmjow's eyes met Ichigo and his grin returned. Grimmjow cocked an eyebrow, raising one hand and drawing it across his throat. Grimmjow was too far away to hear it, but he saw the other man's sharp intake of breath as anger flashed through his eyes. Grimmjow roared with laughter again as he turned and took off after Sachi.

"Wait! Come back!" Ichigo shouted, taking off down the street in the direction they had headed.

"Ichigo!" Rukia exclaimed, closing a hand around his wrist. He shook her off and tried to keep running, but he couldn't when Renji grabbed his shoulder.

"Just hold on a second, Ichigo," Renji began.

Renji was taken aback as Ichigo slapped his hand away and turned on him, anger and desperation flashing through his eyes. "No! I'm not going to wait! What the hell is wrong with all of you anyways? This isn't a joke! Sachi's in real danger! Grimmjow is going to kill her whether she's got bankai or not! And I'm not about to stand around and watch it happen! I'm going to stop their fight even if it kills me!"

With that Ichigo turned around again and took off. Renji couldn't think of anything to say for a moment. He turned to look at Rukia and was unsurprised to see her expression contorted with stress and worry. "Was he always this much of handful?" he asked her wearily.

The corners of Rukia's mouth turned upwards in a wry smile. Years could pass, but Ichigo would never change. "Are you seriously asking me that? Come on."

They both took a few shunpo steps until they were even with Ichigo. They both then wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled one of his arms over their shoulders. They took off into shunpo again, carrying Ichigo between them. The rest of their friends gathered themselves together and followed.

**Author's Note:**

_Yet another chapter. It was awesome, yes? I thought it was. I love writing Grimmjow. I originally intended for all of Sachi's epic fight with him to be in this chapter, but I started to get really tired of writing it. And if I'd kept going this chapter would have been waaay too long. So I broke it up. And I apologize that my description of Sachi's shikai still sucks, but I really didn't want to ruin the surprise of what her bankai was (and if you don't know what a naginata is google it). Essentially her shikai is supposed to be somewhere in between her zanpakuto's sealed form and her bankai. The blade is still really wide like in the sealed form, but it's shorter. The handle for a sword is gone and instead she's got a shorter version of the pole for a naginata. Like I said, halfway. _

_Seven reviews…sigh. That's not bad, but clearly I've been spoiled by getting ten reviews every chapter a while ago. I really do appreciate the reviews I do get. The reason why I write is because I know you guys enjoy it :). So thank you very, very much to my reviewers from last chapter: Rangiku567, Sora'struelover, Luafua, fearlessX1025, RedTheAmazing, Shadow knight1121, and Zororenjilover. Thank you! And now for a dose of immaturity…PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! REVIEW!_

_*coughs*_

_Sorry it took me a bit to get this chapter up. This week is a busy one for me. Also I'm starting the little sort-of job I had last summer (technically it is a job because I get paid…just not very much) so that on top of my Japanese classes is going to slow my update speed. But I'm still going to do it. And you should look forward to it. I've got some awesome stuff planned for this story…*rubs hands together while smiling evilly*_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_**WARNING: **__More cussing! And it's not just Grimmjow this time…_

**Chapter 19: Madness**

Grimmjow came to a stop in midair, the Kurosaki girl standing about a hundred feet away from him. Below was the cleared top of a forested hill. A massive crater stood in the middle of the clearing, the fact that it was blanketed in grass and partially filled in displaying its age. Grimmjow recognized it even though he'd never seen it in person before, though he doubted that the girl knew what the crater was from. This was the place where Ulquiorra and Yammy had arrived in the real world for the first time. Grimmjow cracked a small grin at the slight irony of the girl's chosen battle site.

"You ready to actually fight now?" Grimmjow sneered, confident smirk firmly in place.

Sachi gave Grimmjow a withering glare. Instead of answering she brandished her zanpakuto at him. Grimmjow grinned widely, eager, and charged.

Renji, Rukia, and Ichigo reached the clearing just in time to see Grimmjow charge. Ichigo inhaled sharply as he watched, unpleasant nostalgia welling up in his chest. He remembered this place. His failure here. It was a good choice by Sachi for a place to fight, but it was difficult for him to be here again.

"Sachi!" Renji shouted, as Grimmjow's blade crashed with hers. Grimmjow began a storm of lighting fast blows, always attacking as Sachi blocked. Renji's heart was in his throat. One wrong move- one was all it would take- and Sachi would be a goner.

"Is that all you've got, Soul Reaper?" Grimmjow crowed between blows. This was what he lived for, the racing adrenaline, the pulsing heartbeat of battle. And it was even better when things were going his way. He was delivering strike after strike, and while Sachi blocked every one it was a close call every time. Grimmjow just had to wait for that one slip-up and then the blood would start to flow. He licked his lips eagerly.

Sachi seemed completely unaffected, however. Her expression remained cold and relatively blank- almost bored. This began to irk Grimmjow as the minutes passed. Where was the fear in her eyes? Grimmjow began to move faster, trying to push the girl even harder. She still managed to somehow block his strikes every time.

Finally, just as Grimmjow was starting to lose his temper, Sachi spoke. "I guess you haven't noticed yet."

"Noticed what?" Grimmjow snarled, angry that he was panting slightly and that the Kurosaki girl didn't seem to have broken a sweat. Sachi didn't answer Grimmjow's question verbally. Instead she merely glanced downwards briefly before looking back up and meeting Grimmjow's eyes.

Grimmjow was mystified for a second, at a complete lost for what the meaning of _that_ was. And then…Grimmjow nearly exploded as he realized what the glance had meant. "You're fucking feet!" Grimmjow snarled, hands gripping the handle of his sword so tightly in his rage that they began to tremble. "They haven't moved this entire fucking time!"

Sachi smirked smugly. "That's right."

"You fucking bitch!" Grimmjow howled as he snapped. He flashed forward at a blinding speed, but Sachi again blocked his attack. This time, however, rather than darting away Grimmjow pressed his weight against his blade. He was going to break through this damn girl's guard and cut her to pieces.

So you can imagine his surprise when Sachi only sighed and said, in a long-suffering tone, "You still don't get it do you?" Grimmjow didn't get a chance to respond as Sachi suddenly lifted her own blade and spun it hard. Grimmjow, to his great surprise, found himself sailing through the air away from Sachi. As he righted himself, feet skidding through the open sky, he realized what had happened. Sachi had flicked him away like he was nothing more than a troublesome fly.

Grimmjow paused here for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he considered the Kurosaki girl. He needed to figure out what the fuck was going on before he tried to make any more moves.

"You know my dad's bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, makes him faster, right?" Sachi suddenly asked, serious again.

"Yeah, so what?" Grimmjow snapped back. He was definitely not in the mood for conversation at the moment.

"Well my bankai, Nibai Tengetsu, doesn't do that." No shit Sherlock, Grimmjow thought irritably. "But it does give me something else." Sachi stopped for a moment, apparently for dramatic effect. Grimmjow glowered angrily at her until her cocky grin returned and she continued. "Strength. My bankai multiples my strength by a whole heck of a lot. Do you think I could throw this big thing around if it didn't?" Sachi twirled the naginata casually between her fingers to emphasize her point.

"There's something else you should know too, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez," Sachi said, her voice confident

"And what the hell is that?"

"When my dad beat you he'd only had his bankai for two months at most. But I've had mine for nearly a year now." Sachi smirked widely as Grimmjow's blood boiled at her arrogance, at her smug look of superiority. "I'm on a completely different level than he was."

On the ground below the rest of the Kurosaki's friends arrived. "What's going on?" Uryuu asked as he stopped beside Renji.

"Not much at the moment," Rukia replied as soon as it became clear that Ichigo and Renji were too focused on Sachi to respond. "They've been trading blows for a bit. Sachi seems to have the upper hand." Uryuu murmured in acknowledgement.

"Of course she's got the upper hand!" Izumi exclaimed enthusiastically. "Sachi's a badass!"

"That's enough," Chad said softly, laying a large hand on his daughter's head.

"But dad!" Izumi whined back.

Orihime smiled, amused at Izumi's antics, before looking back to the fight above them. Sachi and Grimmjow were still watching each other warily so Orihime stole a glance to the side, carefully observing Ichigo and Renji. Both of them were completely focused on Sachi, their expressions varying degrees of extremely worried. Orihime's eyes met Rukia's. They shared a glance, knowing how concerned their two friends were for Sachi. And how much this worried them in turn.

For a long, long moment the only thing Grimmjow did was glare at Sachi as she smirked confidently back at him. And then he threw back he head and laughed. "You've got guts girl, but you're too damn cocky." Sachi's eyes narrowed as irritation flashed through her. Still grinning Grimmjow released more of his reiatsu, allowing it to spread out around him in a slow, lazy wave.

Grimmjow rolled his shoulders as Sachi took up a guard position. "Let's see how you fare now!" Grimmjow charged.

The fight began again in earnest. More often than thought Grimmjow was still sent flying when his sword clashed with Sachi's, but it was clear that the momentum in the battle was shifting. Grimmjow was moving faster and striking harder, and Sachi was finding it more and more difficult to hold him off. Blood began to flow again.

Sachi was starting to get angry. So what if Grimmjow had powered up a bit. She still should be able to beat him! Grimmjow laughed as he watched irritation fill Sachi's face, her expression as plain as day. "You know what I'm gonna do once I've killed you?" he asked, grinning wildly.

Sachi's answer was to swing as hard as she could at Grimmjow's neck. Grimmjow blocked and was sent flying, but reappeared in a flash, the speed of his sonido ever increasing.

"I'm gonna kill your dad!" The screech of clashing steel. Grimmjow went flying again.

"And then I'm gonna kill your friends!" The whistle of a blade slicing empty air followed by another crash.

"And then," Grimmjow screamed, working himself up into a near-frenzy. "Then I'm gonna destroy this whole fucking town!" Grimmjow roared with laughter as his blade pressed against Sachi's. His was forcing her back. He was going to make good on his promises very, _very _soon, he thought triumphantly.

Sachi was shaking so violently with anger that she couldn't even press back against Grimmjow. He was a bastard. He had threatened to kill the people she loved as well as all the innocent people in Karakura. Stupid son of a bitch! Like she was going to let that happen!

"_Shut up!" _Sachi roared as she snapped. Grimmjow's expression became nearly alarmed as Sachi pushed him away and began to flurry of lighting fast strikes. The blows were so strong that Grimmjow had to press the wrist of his free hand against the back of his zanpakuto in order to block them.

With a yell Sachi dealt her final blow sending Grimmjow flying end over end. When he finally righted himself he was faced with the sight of Sachi standing above him, spinning her zanpakuto in one hand as black reiatsu swirled around both blades of the naginata.

Eyes flashing with rage Sachi placed her free hand on the staff of her weapon and released all the energy she had been charging. "Getsuga Tensho!"

Grimmjow didn't have time to dodge or block. Perhaps there was something to what the girl had been saying early about being on a different level than Ichigo, Grimmjow thought idly as the first massive wave of reiatsu slammed into his body. The second, released from the girl's other blade came behind the first and sent him crashing into the ground, creating a fresh greater next to the old one.

As she panted from exertion Sachi felt steely satisfaction at seeing the smoke and dust rise from the fresh crater. That had felt good, really good. Grimmjow was becoming a pain in her ass. She was ready to finish this.

Down below, in the crater, Grimmjow pulled himself to his feet. He was covered in cuts and burns, bleeding freely from multiple wounds. That had fucking _hurt_. Ichigo hadn't been able to do much more than singe him without pulling out his Hollow mask and here Grimmjow was seriously considering using his Resurrección. He wasn't entirely sure he could beat the girl without it.

This made Grimmjow angry. Rage coursed through him as he stepped forward through the clearing dust. But it was different from before- it was not the impulsive, blinding rage he had felt earlier. This one ran much deeper. Fuelled by a deep and intense hatred of who and what the Kurosaki girl was it scorched his soul and left his blood burning. Grimmjow had felt this before when he fought Ichigo in Hueco Mundo. It was the desire to completely and utterly destroy- by any means necessary- the girl and everything she was and represented. He wanted to crush her. It didn't take much thought for Grimmjow to give in to the impulse.

The wind finally pushed the last of the dust and smoke away as Grimmjow came to a halt. Above him Sachi stood at the ready. This pleased Grimmjow. Now that he had decided to destroy her he was eager to get started. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this.

Ichigo had watched the progress of the fight in awe. He knew Sachi had been training with Urahara, but he had no idea that she had gotten this strong. She was fighting on equal footing with Grimmjow without the use of any Hollow powers. She was even stronger than he had been. Ichigo felt a surge of reckless pride at this realization. But it hadn't lessened his worry or dread at all. The fight was far from over yet.

Ichigo watched, anxious, as Grimmjow and Sachi stared each other down. Then Grimmjow raised his sword, holding the hilt out in front of him, the blade pointing behind. As Grimmjow laid the tips of the fingers of his free hand against the blade Ichigo realized what Grimmjow was doing. He panicked.

"No! Grimmjow don't!" Ichigo shouted, suddenly sprinting forward in desperation.

"Ichigo!"

"What the hell are you doing Ichigo?"

"No! Let me go damn it! He's going to kill her! _Let me go!_" Ichigo screamed and thrashed as he tried to escape Renji and Chad's hold.

"You idiot!" Renji snapped back as Ichigo's elbow narrowly missed his nose. "The only one who's going to get killed here is you, if you get any closer!"

"Grimmjow don't! Please, _please don't!_" Ichigo was begging now, pleading with one of his most persistent enemies for his daughter's sake. He didn't care. He just _had _to stop this before Sachi got killed.

Seeing Ichigo like this- reduced to begging and nearly in tears- gave Grimmjow immense satisfaction. He looked at Ichigo, maintaining careful eye contact and grinning widely as the blade beneath his fingers began to glow blue and his reiatsu gathered around him. Grimmjow's smirk turned malicious as Ichigo lost all sense of restraint, screaming and thrashing in the grip of his friends. The rest of the humans looked on in shock.

Grimmjow was doing this because of Ichigo, because he _hated_ him so fucking much. And now Ichigo knew. Grimmjow laughed with fierce joy as the slashed his hand down the length of his blade.

"Grind! Pantera!"

The ground shook and the air trembled as Grimmjow's reiatsu exploded. Sachi raised an arm to protect her face as the shockwave reached her. The amount of energy Grimmjow was putting off was ridiculous. Sachi swallowed, her throat now dry, as the wind calmed. For the first time since her battle with Grimmjow had begun she felt truly scared. He was so much more powerful than he had been just a minute ago. She wasn't sure she could beat him anymore. Cold dread pooled in her stomach.

No. She couldn't think like that. She could win. She _had _to win! Sachi steeled herself.

The dust around Grimmjow cleared and all Sachi could do for a moment was stare. Like the Arrancar she had fought in Nagasaki, Grimmjow's appearance had changed. But Grimmjow looked far more dangerous and deadly than the other Arrancar ever had. He now had along mane of electric blue hair, big greenish colored ears, and catlike fangs. His body was lithe and feline-like, with a tale and sharp claws on every finger and toe.

Grimmjow grinned, revealing every single one of his now very pointy teeth. "Are you ready Soul Reaper?" he called. He didn't give Sachi time to answer. Instead he vanished, causing Sachi to gasp as he disappeared and reappeared before her in an instant. He was so fast!

"Now it's time for the real fight to start," Grimmjow whispered, his grin maniacal. Sachi brought her zanpakuto up to guard, but it didn't do her any good as Grimmjow's first kick sent her flying.

Ichigo had stopped struggling. His despair was too powerful and so he stood watching the fight with glazed eyes as he wallowed in guilt. This was _all his fault_. He was the one Grimmjow was really after. But Sachi was fighting him instead because Ichigo was powerless. He couldn't even protect is own daughter- all he could do was stand quietly on the sidelines and watch her die.

Never before had Ichigo loathed the loss of his powers so much. He had missed them, of course, when he was younger, but as the years passed he had begun to value his chance to live life as a normal human. Especially after Sachi had been born. That had changed after the return of his Hollow on Sachi's ninth birthday, but he still hadn't felt as powerless then as he did now. He had managed to keep his Hollow at bay and had protected both Sachi and her mother by allowing them to drift away and ultimately leave. It had been a difficult sacrifice, but Ichigo had always believed it was worth it.

And now…now Sachi was in more danger than she had been on the fateful day of her birthday and there wasn't _a damn thing_ that Ichigo could do about it. So he stood, quiet with shock and self-hatred, and watched Sachi get her ass kicked.

Beside Ichigo, Renji was about to lose it. His hand was gripping the hilt of his zanpakuto so tightly that his knuckles were white. He hadn't been there to see Ichigo fight Grimmjow in Hueco Mundo and had been far too preoccupied with his own battle to even pay much attention to it. But was now painfully obvious why Ichigo had been so desperate to stop Grimmjow from releasing his full powers. Sachi was no match for him now.

It was clear that Grimmjow was toying with her, darting around at an incredible speed and putting little cuts and scratches on her as she desperately tried to keep up with him. Renji wanted Sachi to do well, to be strong enough to handle this on her own, but he was beginning to think that he needed to step in. But it was not until Grimmjow pointed his elbow at Sachi and fired five strange darts at her that Renji took action. Sachi managed to dodge two of them, the other three making clean hits and eliciting a scream from her as she stumbled and nearly fell. Fear and anger ripped through Renji's chest and he leapt into the air, drawing Zabimaru as he did so.

Renji heard Rukia call after him, but he ignored her. But he couldn't ignore Sachi's shout. "Stop!" Renji stopped where he was, halfway between the ground and her. He was taken aback as Sachi turned a fierce glare on him, straightening up and turning back towards Grimmjow. "Don't interfere!" she commanded.

Renji grinded his teeth angrily. Why did her stubborn streak have to show up now of all times? "No! Sachi, you need help! I'm not going to let you get yourself killed just because-!"

"This is my fight!" she thundered. Her back was to Renji now and she didn't turn around or look at him as she continued. "I can handle this. Don't interfere. If you do…I'll never forgive you."

The last bit was said as a whisper, meant only for Renji's ears. Damn it, why did she have to be so stubborn? And stupid. So stupid! Sachi was fighting Grimmjow not only to protect her father and the town, but also to prove herself. Ha, like everyone didn't already know that she was incredibly strong. But this was something that Sachi felt she had to do and…damn it, but Renji understood. He moved back, wanting to respect Sachi's wishes but silently vowing to himself that he would stop things whether she wanted him to or not before she was killed.

Grimmjow watched this exchange with vague amusement. The girl honestly thought she still had a chance to beat him? Well it was probably time to show her just how wrong she was. He charged again. He got the distinct pleasure of seeing her inhale sharply as he appeared before her, too fast for her eyes to follow he knew, before he punched her in the gut.

He purposely hadn't hit her that hard- he didn't want to send her flying again and have to chase her down this time- so she only skidded back about ten feet. Recovering faster than he had anticipated she darted forward and swung her zanpakuto. Grimmjow dodged it agilely with ease and then stepped forward again, this time wrapping a hand around her throat.

Sachi gasped and clawed at his wrist with her free hand, but it did her no good. She tried to swing at him again and Grimmjow responded by tightening his fingers, his claws pricking the sensitive skin at her neck threateningly. Sachi froze, her eyes wide with fear. Ah, _that_ was the look he had been looking for.

"Did you really think you still had a chance against me? You're fucking stupid. The outcome of this fight was decided the second I released my Resurrección." Down below Ichigo had gone berserk again, screaming and thrashing against his friend's restraint. Renji had snapped as well, racing up towards them again as quickly as he could, his face contorted with rage and anxiety.

Grimmjow grinned widely, feeling immensely powerful with the girl's life hanging between his claws. This was _so _much better than killing Ichigo straight away. He would destroy his stupid human heart first and then rip his body to shreds.

Grimmjow raised a single finger until it was pointed directly into Sachi's face. He began to charge a cero as terror flashed through her eyes. Grimmjow grinned. "Goodbye, Kurosaki girl." He released the cero.

The resulting explosion ripped Sachi out of his grasp. She fell in a smoking cloud and crashed into the earth.

Everyone was in shock. Ichigo couldn't move, could barely breathe. His only conscious thought was 'This is my fault'. Rukia had a tight hold on Ichigo's hand, but she was too shocked herself to stop him if he tried to get away again. Orihime had slapped a hand over her mouth, tears threatening to fall as she silently grieved for the loss of her dear friend's daughter. Uryuu's hands were clenched into fists and Chad stood stoically beside him, but trembled in anger.

"Sachi…" Izumi choked out, tears already flowing freely down her face. Kenji had a hand on each of her shoulders, his grip so tight that his knuckles were white.

Renji couldn't believe his eyes. Sachi couldn't be dead. She just _couldn't _be. But how could she have survived that? Could anyone survive a cero to the face like that? As realization sank in a terrible pain began in Renji's chest. The ache made him want to curl up in a ball and die just to end it. He recognized this pain from his childhood in the Rukongai- it was the pain caused by the loss of someone important to you. But he had never, _ever_ felt it as intensely as this before.

Close on the heels of the pain came anger. A flaming rage so powerful that it burned through his veins and left him nearly blind. This was Grimmjow's fault. Grimmjow had killed Sachi. And now Renji was going to kill him. "You bastard!" Renji screamed, ripping his zanpakuto from its sheath. "You're dead!" Renji charged.

And then came to an abrupt halt as power pulsed from where Sachi had fallen. The effect on everyone was immediate. Renji turned towards where Sachi had fallen, hope blooming in his chest and abruptly dimming as the reiatsu began to grow.

Izumi and Kenji both shivered as the new reiatsu washed over them. Chad placed a hand on each of their shoulders, trying to reassure them despite his own doubts. Orihime and Uryuu exchanged alarmed glances. While everyone who had been in Hueco Mundo had felt this kind of reiatsu before and recognized it, they were the only two who had felt it up close and personal.

Rukia's hand involuntarily tightened in Ichigo's. And Ichigo, for his part, looked like he was about to start panicking again. "No, no, no. Not Sachi, _please_ not Sachi," Rukia heard him whisper under his breath, his voice sounding broken.

Grimmjow turned towards the girl, bemused. She wasn't dead, clearly. And, apparently, she had the same kind of Hollow powers as her father. But there was something different about the girl's reiatsu. It was just as dark and heavy as Ichigo's had been when they'd fought in Hueco Mundo, but it was also completely wild. Grimmjow, frowned. What the hell was going on?

The smoke surrounding Sachi's crash site slowly cleared, revealing that she was already on her feet. But she stood hunched over, a curtain of bright orange hair hiding her face. The tension in the air grew as everyone waited with bated breath to see what Sachi would do.

And then Sachi threw back her head and roared.

A shiver of primal fear raced through the gathered humans and Soul Reapers. The sound was purely Hollow, no trace of Sachi's voice within it. The reiatsu that flooded from her with the roar was the same. Sachi was completely gone, all traces of human consciousness erased by her Hollow's manifestation.

Grimmjow wasn't sure what to make of this new development. The girl had certainly Hollowfied like Ichigo. Her face was covered by a perfectly oval mask, the structures of a human faced just barely outlined on its surface. A dark blue starburst covered the surface of the mask, its origin being directly in the center. The teeth, rather than being square, were all sharp and pointed, like the mouth of a carnivorous beast. And, like Ichigo, the irises of her eyes had turned to gold. But they no longer held any kind of human intelligence- just the plain aggression and bloodthirstiness of a regular Hollow.

Before Grimmjow got the chance to truly process Sachi's transformation she charged. Grimmjow stepped backwards, surprised at her sudden dramatic increase in speed. But there was nothing for him to be afraid of right? There was still no way that this stupid girl could beat him!

So when Sachi flashed up in front of him using sonido instead of the Soul Reaper's shunpo- which Grimmjow noted with a sort of muted astonishment- he didn't bother to try to get out of the way. Cockily, he simply raised his arm to block her incoming strike. His hierro could no longer withstand her reiatsu, however, so Sachi's blade went straight through Grimmjow's arm, severing it just below the elbow, and leaving a deep wound in his chest.

Grimmjow stumbled back, staring in shock at the stump, now gushing blood, where his forearm was supposed to be attached. His eyes flicked downward, briefly following his arm and hand as they fell. What the hell just happened?

Down below everyone was watching with growing horror. It was quickly becoming clear that this was not an ordinary Hollowfication and the Sachi had absolutely no control at the moment. Uryuu and Orihime were the most frightened- they fully understood what Sachi's transformation could lead to- but Ichigo was the most upset.

He couldn't believe his eyes. The one thing he had worried about the most since he learned that Sachi had inherited his Soul Reaper powers was that she would also come to have a Hollow. He didn't want that for her, for Sachi to have to suffer through everything that he had suffered through. And now Ichigo was watching what he had dreaded most. The guilt increased exponentially, threatening to tear his chest into shreds.

_She's beautiful isn't she?_

Ichigo stiffened as the voice of his Hollow echoed through his mind. He had been very quiet for the past several years. He showed up every once in a while- Ichigo was certain it was because he wanted to make sure that Ichigo didn't forget about him, not that that was likely to happen- but it had been several months since the last time. And to hear him say this? Rage coursed through Ichigo in a way that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

What the hell are you talking about?

_What do you mean what am I talking about? Isn't it obvious? Sachi's your daughter right? She's got a part of you in her? Well _she_ is my daughter, in a way. I put a part of myself into Sachi just as you did and _she _is who it blossomed into. I couldn't be more proud._

Ichigo began to shake with fury as his Hollow's laughter echoed inside him. He couldn't even form a coherent thought to express how angry he was. "_You bastard!"_

Rukia turned to Ichigo, startled by his shout, and was alarmed to see him hunched over, hands tangled in his hair. "Ichigo, what's wrong?"

"It's him," Ichigo replied through gritted teeth, making a violent motion to indicate his head. Rukia immediately understood that he was talking about his Hollow. "_He_ did this. It's all his fault that Sachi's like that!" Ichigo screamed, a formless yell that encapsulated all his anguish. Rukia's heart ached for him.

Grimmjow didn't know what to do. Whatever the hell had happened placed Sachi on a plain so far above him that he couldn't ever hope to match her. Hatred so strong that it suffocated him filled Grimmjow, but he didn't have time to think about it. It was all he could do just to stay alive.

Sachi's speed had increased nearly as much as her strength. She could easily keep up with Grimmjow now, chasing him down and blocking him off whenever he tried to get away. She was making steady progress on injuring him as well, cutting him easily every time he didn't dodge quite fast enough.

Finally Grimmjow had had enough. He turned to face Sachi, his face contorted into a ferocious snarl. "Desgarrón!" he cried, activating his strongest attack. Bright blue reiatsu extended from the claws of Grimmjow's remaining hand and with, with a fierce yell, he swung them towards Sachi. Sachi raised her blade to counter Grimmjow's attack and his Desgarrón shattered.

"No…way…" Grimmjow breathed, shocked. He was so shocked, in fact, that he didn't bother trying to dodge as Sachi took another swing at him.

Pain and blood exploded from his abdomen. Grimmjow winced as he began to fall. It felt like he'd practically been cut in half. Numbness filled Grimmjow's chest, cooling his anger and hate. He had lost. Again. How in the hell had that happened? He was the king, damn it! How could he lose again?

Grimmjow hit the ground, hard, and did not try to rise again. Above him Sachi opened her mouth and a red ball of energy began to glow in front of her open maw. It grew brighter and brighter until it was blinding, and then she released it. The cero collided with the spot where Grimmjow had fallen and exploded, knocking Sachi's friends and family to the ground.

The smoke and dust had dissipated a bit by the time everyone had gotten to their feet again. It was impossible to tell whether Grimmjow had survived or not, but the fight was definitely over now. Everyone watched, tense, wondering what Sachi was going to do next as she stood perfectly still in the air.

Suddenly she shot away.

"What the-?"

"She's heading towards Karakura!"

"Sachi!" The last desperate shout was Ichigo's, pleading for his daughter to somehow come back to him as she should be.

Renji, for one, wasn't going to let Sachi get away. He needed to stop her before she did any damage to the human town, but he was also sick of seeing her like this. This wasn't Sachi and he wanted her back.

"Sachi!" he shouted, appearing in front of her with his arms outstretched. He had sheathed his sword in hopes that the Hollow would slow down and take some time to consider whether he was a threat or not. It didn't. Renji's eyes widened in dismay and horror as Sachi raised her arm and brought her zanpakuto down, slicing him deeply from left shoulder to right hip.

Sachi's mask shattered.

It was like Sachi was awakening from a deep sleep. She blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The last thing she remembered was Grimmjow's finger in her face, the flash of bright light as he released his cero. And now…

Fragments of what looked like shattered white bone floated before her eyes, falling downwards in slow motion. Beyond them was the bright red of spraying blood, droplets of it meeting the white fragments and turning them red as well. And then there was Renji. The blood was spraying from a massive wound in his torso.

"Renji?" Her voice was barely above a murmur. Fear and horror filled her chest as he began to fall.

"That's more like it," Sachi heard Renji reply, his tone and expression tight with pain. Despite that he managed to smile. "I really just wanted to see your pretty face again." Renji's fall continued, his body curving away from Sachi. She saw his eyes close.

"_Renji!_"

Timed suddenly accelerated back to its normal speed. Sachi lunged and managed to grab Renji's wrist, stopping his fall. Tears in her eyes and mind reeling, Sachi carefully lowered Renji to the ground.

"Renji! Renji!" she called desperately, trying to drag him back into consciousness. He was dying wasn't he? No he couldn't be dying! Renji was tougher than this! "Come on Renji, wake up!" Sachi begged. "Tell me what happened!"

Orihime suddenly appeared on Renji's other side. "Don't worry, Sachi-chan," she said soothingly. "Renji's going to be ok."

"But I don't understand! What happened?" Someone pulled Sachi to her feet as everyone else gathered around them. Sachi looked up, caught Izumi and Kenji's eyes, and was shocked to see fear in them. Fear of her.

That was when Sachi noticed the blade of Nibai Tengetsu. It was coated in fresh blood. It took Sachi less than a second to put two and two together and when she did she dropped her zanpakuto as if it had burned her. _She_ did this to Renji? Sachi began to shake as she tried to wrap her mind around it. The tears she had been holding back began to flow freely.

"Sachi."

Sachi turned around to see her dad standing right behind her, his expression sad, sympathetic, and understanding. Somehow Sachi knew right then and there that her father completely understood what had just happened to her.

Sachi broke down. She really had been trying to keep herself under control, but with the new knowledge that _she_ was the one who hurt Renji she couldn't do it anymore. She threw herself at her father, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest.

Ichigo returned Sachi's embrace as she cried into his chest, her entire body racked with sobs. "It'll be ok…" he murmured quietly.

**Author's Note:**

_The second half of Sachi's epic fight with Grimmjow and I hope it was suitably…epic. Personally I'm pretty pleased. And I hope the ending surprised everyone. I have lots and lots of exciting plans for what's going to happen after this too. I had some fun writing this chapter. Like I said before I really like writing Grimmjow. I made him super sadistic in this one, but I feel like it fits him well._

_I feel like there are a lot of things that people could complain about in this chapter, but I don't feel like addressing them all. If you felt like someone was horribly OOC or something was inconsistent let me know in a review and I'll address it in a PM or next chapter's AN. Also I realized about halfway through this chapter that I didn't name Sachi's bankai last chapter. Haha, whoops. That's why it's sort of randomly thrown in to that bit of dialogue here. And again I don't think it really means anything (and if it does, probably not what I want it to mean). _

_Ten reviews! TEN! Gah, I feel so loved. Thank you all so very, very much for your support! Especially steel-alchemist, E. E. Terrill, Inspired Kid, Zephyr12, Xxdreamergirl95xX, Shadow knight1121, LadyAmazon, Red the Amazing, Sora'struelover, and Luafua! You all are AWESOME and your support means the world to me! Please keep reviewing! _

_So, again, it took a while to get this chapter up. I'm afraid it's going to stay that way, as I am a lot busier than I was anticipating at the beginning of the summer. I seem to be falling into a pattern where I update one of my stories every week, so- since I currently have three stories in progress- it'll be about three weeks between chapters. Sorry :(. Also I have a job interview on Monday so if I get hired for that who knows how my updating schedule will end up. Fear not though! Updates we still come even if they're slow!_

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_**WARNING: **__Grimmjow is going to be a pretty major character from now on (mainly because I love him and he's a badass) so you can pretty much expect major cussing in every chapter._

**Chapter 20: Coming Clean**

Ichigo, Sachi, and Rukia returned to the Kurosaki Clinic in silence. Urahara and Yoruichi had arrived during the aftermath of Sachi's fight with Grimmjow and had taken Renji back to the shop to finish his recovery along with the former Espada. Everyone else had returned home as well. Things were tense, however. It was clear that Sachi's sudden Hollowfication had frightened her friends as well as alarming Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad. And, no matter how many assurances she was given that Renji would be ok, Sachi refused to speak to anyone, lost in her own worries.

As soon as they stepped into the house Sachi made a beeline for the stairs, but Ichigo laid a hand on her shoulder to stop her. "Hold on a second, Sachi. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Sachi glanced over her shoulder at her father, curiosity visible beneath her irritation at being stopped. Rukia, immediately realizing what the discussion would entail and knowing that it wasn't any of her business, turned around and walked right back outside. "I'm going to report what happened to Soul Society," she called as the door swung shut.

Sachi allowed herself to be guided into the family room and sat down on the couch. Ichigo sat in the chair opposite. He took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on his intertwined fingers. He was horribly nervous to finally explain everything to her.

"I understand how you're feeling," Ichigo said. "To be dealing with that for a while- and there's no way that you would have Hollowfied like that if you weren't- and then to just lose control…" Ichigo trailed off as memories of his own struggle with his Hollow drifted through his mind. He suppressed a violent shiver.

"There's something I need to tell you Sachi," he finally began, looking up and meeting his daughter's eyes. He expression was guarded, but still curious. And there was a strange desperation there- like she had been dying to hear this forever. "It's about what happened on your ninth birthday…and why I…why I let your mother take you."

And then Ichigo told Sachi everything. About his own struggles with his Hollow as a teenager. About how he had lost total control fighting Ulquiorra in Hueco Mundo. How his Hollow had gone silent along with the rest of his powers after using the final Getsuga Tensho against Aizen. And, finally, how Ichigo's Hollow had returned on Sachi's ninth birthday and that Ichigo's emotional distance stemmed from his fear of losing control again.

Throughout Ichigo's story Sachi didn't speak once. She didn't speak after he was finished for a long time either, instead focusing her gaze on some distant point that Ichigo couldn't see. Finally she opened her mouth. "There's just one thing I want to ask you, dad." Ichigo immediately perked up. He's been quite worried about what her reaction would be to him coming clean. "Did you ever hurt anyone?"

Surprise rippled through Ichigo. It was understandable, question, yes, but what really caught him off guard was the intensity in Sachi's eyes as she waited for his answer.

"Yes," Ichigo finally answered. "Uryuu. I stabbed Uryuu with my sword when I lost control in Hueco Mundo." Ichigo couldn't suppress his shiver this time at that memory. He didn't remember stabbing Uryuu of course, but the horror of waking back up and seeing his zanpakuto embedded in Uryuu's abdomen was as fresh as the day it had occurred.

Sachi nodded and stood. "A-are you alright?" Ichigo asked, standing as well and making a move to stop her before he caught himself. She was 17 now, practically an adult. He no longer had the right to force her to stay and tell him what she was feeling if she didn't want to.

"I just need time to think," Sachi replied, her voice completely and utterly neutral as she made her way up the stairs.

Ichigo watched her until she disappeared into the darkness upstairs and then collapsed back into his chair. He wished he knew what to make of what had just happened. He'd though he'd feel better after finally telling Sachi everything, but if anything he felt worse because he had no idea how she'd truly taken it. Ichigo ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

The front door opened and closed again with a soft click. Ichigo looked up at the sound of Rukia's light footsteps. "How'd it go?" she asked as she approached.

"I don't know," Ichigo sighed despondently. "She barely said a word and then she went upstairs." Rukia offered Ichigo a sympathetic look and patted him consolingly on the back. "I just don't know what else to do anymore…"

"You've done everything you can, Ichigo," Rukia replied. After a brief moment's hesitation she ran her fingers through his graying- but just as vibrant- hair. "It's up to her now. I'm sure she'll come around. This has all been a bit too much for her to handle, I think. Just give her some time."

Ichigo, who had closed his eyes to enjoy the sensation of her fingers against his scalp, looked up at Rukia. She met his gaze steadily. Then he reached out and pulled her into his lap. She struggled briefly before settling down and leaning against his chest, her cheeks stained a pale pink.

"Thank you," Ichigo murmured into her hair.

Rukia pulled away from Ichigo so she could look him in the eye. "Always," she replied, reaching up a hand and laying it against his cheek. They both sat there for a moment, lost in each other's eyes, before Rukia pulled Ichigo down and pressed her lips against his.

…

Sachi didn't know what to think. Her father had finally, _finally_ told her what had happened on her ninth birthday to make him change so much and Sachi honestly wasn't sure she whether she felt better knowing or not. It was good to know…but did it change anything?

Sachi stared up at the ceiling, her hands behind her head. Her father had gone through the same thing she had. He also had a Hollow inside him, whispering threats to him and fighting for control of his body every time he was in battle. And he'd lost control too- more than once. He'd even hurt someone he cared about…but not in the way that Sachi cared about Renji.

Renji.

Sachi rolled over onto her side and curled up in a ball, her hand going to her chest as the guilt ripped through her. How could she have done that to Renji even if she didn't have control? She loved him! Tears pricked in the corners of Sachi's eyes. Everyone kept telling her that he would be ok, but she wasn't really going to believe it until she saw it for herself. And what about when he did recover…would he hate her now? Fear her the way Izumi and Kenji obviously did?

Sachi swallowed thickly. She didn't think she'd be able to handle it if he did. And then there was the problem of her Hollow itself. It was clear that she could no longer hold her off. She'd have to find a way to stop her for good. What if she hurt someone else?

"I'm scared," Sachi told the empty room. "And I don't…I don't know what to do…"

"Well it's a good thing I do then."

Sachi gasped and sat bolt upright, spinning to face the source of the voice. There was a man sitting in her open window. He had short blond hair, his bangs cut asymmetrically, brown eyes, and a Cheshire grin.

"I believe I can help you with your problem, Sachi Kurosaki."

…

When Renji woke up he felt fine. After he sat up and examined his chest he found no trace of the horrible wound he had received. Good. That meant he was fully healed. Renji dressed and headed downstairs, glad that he had stayed at Urahara's before and knew where he was going.

The first being Renji encountered was Grimmjow, who was also in one piece- apparently Orihime had gotten to him too. He was sprawled out in what served as the family room watching some kind of kids' show on TV. Renji scowled as soon as he saw him. "What're you still doing here?"

Grimmjow, his head propped in his hand, simply leaned his head back and fixed Renji with an upside down glare. "Oh look, you're still alive. Whoop-de-fucking-doo."

"That didn't answer my question," Renji snapped back as Grimmjow looked away.

"It's not any of your business."

"Like I said before, if there's a Hollow-!"

"I want to find out what's going on," Grimmjow interrupted. "The fucker with the funny hat told me to stick around. So here I am." Grimmjow threw another glare at Renji over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the TV.

Before Renji could do more than quietly fume Yoruichi, in her human form, slid out of another door farther down the hallway. "Abarai! It's good to see you on your feet again."

"Yoruichi-san," he replied nodding to her. "I'm just glad I'm ok. How long was I out for anyways?"

"Two days just about."

"T-two days!" Rebji spluttered in astonishment.

"Well yea," Yoruichi replied, giving him a look that clearly indicated that she thought he was making a fuss over nothing. "Orihime healed your wound right away, but your body still needed time to recover."

But Renji hadn't heard her. "Shit!" he mumbled to himself as he turned away and started taking long strides down the hallway towards the front door. He'd been out for _two days?_ He needed to go see Sachi and quickly!

He was almost out when another door on the hallway slid upon and Urahara stepped out. Renji nearly fell over as he tried to avoid running into him. "Ah, Abarai-san you're up," Urahara commented. His tone was jovial, but his expression was serious. "And just in time too. We have visitors."

"Huh?" Renji was temporarily derailed.

Urahara didn't respond. Instead he moved towards the front door. Curious, Renji followed and by the time Urahara slid the door open Yoruichi and Grimmjow were at his back.

Urahara gazed out at the three people on his doorstep. It looked like things had finally begun. "Welcome. What can I do for you today, Hitsugaya-taicho, Matsumoto-fukutaicho, and third-seat Cifer?"

"Ulquiorra? What the fuck?" Grimmjow exclaimed, disbelief in his voice.

Toshiro's and Rangiku's eyes flickered from Grimmjow back to their third-seat. "Grimmjow. You're as vulgar as ever I see," the man in question sighed.

"Don't tell me you've become one of those shittygami," Grimmjow sneered, his callousness hiding his shock.

"Yes. Clearly I am now a Soul Reaper," Ulquiorra replied dryly, gesturing to the shihakusho he was wearing. His irritation was also plain on his face and for Grimmjow that was just…weird. He had nothing else to say, and so he didn't.

Toshiro took over after shooting a rather pointed look at Grimmjow. "Urahara, we're here today for multiple reasons, but they're rather complicated. I'd prefer to have everyone here before we begin discussing them. Abarai-fukutaicho, where is Kuchiki?"

Renji jumped at being addressed. But as he had no idea where Rukia was he looked towards Urahara. "She's still with Kurosaki-san, I believe," he replied.

"With Ichigo?" Rangiku suddenly exclaimed, her eyes glittering in excitement. "You mean he can see us again?" Renji nodded and she squealed.

Toshiro shot his lieutenant an irritated look before addressing his third-seat. "Cifer, go and get Kuchiki. We'll begin once you've returned."

"Yes sir," Ulquiorra replied. He turned and took off in the direction of the Kurosaki clinic in what was unmistakably a shunpo.

…

Ichigo wasn't sure what to make of everything as he sat, squished between Rukia and Renji, at the table in Urahara's little dining room. It was just…too weird.

First there was Ulquiorra (Who had shown up at Ichigo's door and told Rukia that she needed to go back to Urahara's shop with him. Ichigo wasn't about to be left behind.). It seemed that he was now a Soul Reaper, the third seated officer of Squad Ten, in fact. He looked much different now. His skin was as pale as ever and his eyes just as vibrantly green, but he no longer had the mask fragment covering his hair nor the dark tear marks on his cheeks. And he was also much more open about showing emotion now which was just…_weird_.

Then there was Toshiro and Rangiku. Rangiku hadn't changed a bit, but Toshiro had grown. He looked to be in his mid-teens. He had gotten taller as well, now standing about as tall as Ichigo had in high school, and was beginning to fill out. His face had lost most of the softness of childhood and it was clear he would be a very handsome man once he finished growing. The expression in his teal eyes was still just as serious and businesslike as ever, however. Ichigo was grateful for that one small piece of consistency.

"Well now that we're all here we can begin," Toshiro said, looking around at the odd assembly around the table. His eyes lingered briefly on Ichigo and Grimmjow before he continued. "Our main purpose here is to fully investigate the fight that occurred two days ago between Sixth Espada Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez—"

"I'm not an Espada anymore," Grimmjow interrupted with a growl. "I don't work for that fucker Aizen anymore and I never will again. _I'm_ the king of Hueco Mundo now."

"Former Espada then," Toshiro corrected himself, shooting the Arrancar a glare for his interruption. "Between him and an unknown, unregistered Soul Reaper. I'm sure you all know something about it, however." Toshiro's eyes roved over Urahara and Yoruichi- who both looked pleasantly disinterested- before stopping on Renji and Rukia.

Renji and Rukia exchanged uneasy glances. What should they tell him? Then Ichigo spoke up. "It was my daughter, Sachi."

"Your daughter?" Toshiro asked, astonishment written clearly across his features. Rangiku's mouth was hanging open in shock and Ulquiorra also looked surprise. Ichigo nodded calmly. "There are records of you having a daughter, but none that say that she possesses spiritual powers," Toshiro said.

"It's a…relatively recent development," Ichigo admitted.

"What happened?"

There was tense silence for a moment before Renji broke it with a heavy sigh. "I did." All eyes in the room turned on him. Renji did his best to ignore the looks Rukia was sending him that told him to shut up and that they'd think of something else so he didn't get in trouble. But Toshiro motioned impatiently for him to continue. "Two years ago I was sent on a mission to Nagasaki where Sachi was living with her mother. There was a Hollow attack and, well, pretty much the same thing happened to us as to Rukia and Ichigo."

The tension in the room deflated. "You don't say…" Toshiro murmured, eyes on the table in thought. Rangiku was trying to look serious, but it was clear from the glitter in her eyes and the why her gaze bounced from Rukia to Ichigo and back to Renji that she had found an extremely juicy bit of information. Renji had the feeling that he was going to regret telling the truth with her in the room later. And Ulquiorra? He looked bored mostly.

"Very well," Toshiro finally said, coming to a decision. "I'm afraid we'll have to inform Soul Society about this Abarai-fukutaicho." Renji nodded. He'd expected as much. If he'd thought he'd been in trouble when he came back from Nagasaki, it was nothing to the punishment he'd be getting when he returned. "Matsumoto will collect the details of the fight itself later, but for now there is another matter we need to discuss."

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as Toshiro briefly lost control of his reiatsu in an uncharacteristic fit of temper. Ichigo briefly hoped that it was just teenage hormones before he caught sight of Rangiku's unusually somber expression. Even Ulquiorra looked a bit tense. "There has been another…desertion."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

The temperature definitely dropped another couple of degrees to the point where it was uncomfortable. Toshiro closed his eyes before he spoke, the calmness of his tone suddenly sounding extremely forced. "Hinamori-taicho, along with all the former Espada, except Ulquiorra, took advantage of the commotion caused by the fight two days ago to desert and escape into Hueco Mundo."

Shocked silence followed this pronouncement. And then everyone was talking at once. Renji and Rukia and were shouting over and at each other for details. Urahara and Yoruichi immediately began discussing what were probably plans together in hushed tones. Grimmjow was mostly cussing. And Ichigo, trying and failing to make himself heard, just really wanted an update on what the hell everyone was talking about.

"_That's enough!"_ Toshiro finally thundered, the authority in his voice immediately shutting everyone up. "Now, questions?"

"But what…what happened?" Renji asked. It was clear he was still completely stunned.

Toshiro sighed heavily. "We're not sure exactly. We received the reports of Grimmjow's appearance here and everything was thrown into chaos as we tried to explain how he was still alive and what he was doing Karakura. It wasn't until we received Kuchiki-fukutaicho's report and began to assemble a team to further investigate that we realized everyone was missing. The investigation of that was what delayed us getting here, though we still have no knowledge of their motivations."

"Are you sure they're in Hueco Mundo?" Rukia asked, sounding like she still didn't quite believe it.

"Yes. We found evidence on the edge of the Rukon District that indicates a garganta was opened there around the time that they disappeared. And since they're not here in the real world…"

More heavy silence followed before Ichigo broke it. "Can we back up a couple steps here? I know I've been out of touch for a few decades, but you said _all_ the former Espada…there's more than Ulquiorra?"

"Yes." All eyes turned to Ulquiorra. "We were all killed as Hollows by the zanpakuto of Soul Reapers, and as such we were reborn in Soul Society. Once our locations were discovered the Seireitei made a concerted effort to recruit us. Since then until two days ago we all served the Seireitei as Soul Reapers."

"I see," Ichigo replied thoughtfully. That made sense…he guessed. He didn't fail to notice the sudden increase in tension between Toshiro and Rangiku and Ulquiorra. Ichigo got the feeling that the two long time Soul Reapers didn't quite trust the former Espada anymore. The stressed silence stretched on.

"You're all fucking nuts." The statement was unusually quiet for Grimmjow though it dripped with venom. "They're not fucking in Hueco Mundo. And I didn't have any fucking thing to do with it. So you can quit fucking looking at me like that!" Grimmjow slammed his open hand against the table, rattling everyone's teacups, and turned a heated glare on Toshiro. Toshiro, unimpressed, held Grimmjow's gaze for a moment, before turning his eyes back to the table.

"But didn't you say when you showed up two days ago that you came here to find out why Hollows were acting strangely? And you haven't been back there since the fight, right?" Renji absentmindedly thought out loud. "Maybe somehow it's all connected?"

"Shut up!" Grimmjow snarled at Renji, clearly unhappy at the new attention he was getting. Renji's comment had definitely piqued the interest of the other Soul Reapers.

"Have you found out anything?" Toshiro asked.

"No! And it isn't any of your damn business!" It was clear that Grimmjow was getting close to exploding.

"I must say this new development is…interesting." Everyone quieted down as Urahara spoke for the first time. "You say you don't know what their motivations were, but you suspect it had something to do with Aizen, correct?" As often occurred his inquiry was more a statement of fact than a question.

A heavy silence filled the small room. "Yes," Toshiro finally answered, the word and his breath all coming out at once as he deflated with something very much like depression. Rangiku had gotten a distant and very sad look in her eye as well. Both Rukia and Renji sat extremely stiffly and Yoruichi and Urahara looked especially grave. Hate and rage flickered in Grimmjow's eyes and even Ichigo, long removed from his time as a Soul Reaper, felt the cold fingers of dread creeping up his spine. Only Ulquiorra seemed unaffected, the cool mask of disinterest he wore being nearly as unreadable as when he had been one of Aizen's Espada.

It was Urahara who finally broke this silence. "Interesting."

…

Renji bounded from rooftop to rooftop at a relaxed pace that allowed his mind to wander. He had left Urahara's when Ichigo did, intending to head back to the Kurosaki clinic to talk to Sachi. However, once he learned that Sachi had disappeared the night of the fight, and that now matter how hard they'd looked that Ichigo and Rukia couldn't find her, he'd set off in search of her. Ichigo was going to inform the rest of Karakura's spiritual defenders about what had happened in Soul Society and their suspicions for the cause of it.

The only problem with Renji going off to find Sachi was exactly that- how was he going to find her? While he wasn't entirely sure he knew he had to try. There was everything that had happened in the Soul Society to tell her. And he still needed to talk to her about him getting hurt. So Renji simply followed his instincts, certain they would lead him to her.

Where they led him was a rundown warehouse district. He wandered around for a bit until he noticed that one particularly dilapidated warehouse was being left alone by all the animals in the area. The birds wouldn't fly near it, a stray dog carefully avoided it, and even the ants were taking pains to walk around it. Definitely not normal.

Renji approached the warehouse carefully only to come to an unceremonious stop as he- literally- ran into an invisible wall. Rubbing his nose as he stepped back Renji looked upwards. If he looked very closely he could just make out the outline of the orange-yellow barrier that was surrounding the building. Great. Now what?

After examining the barrier for several minutes- it was made of an extremely complex and powerful kido- he realized he had absolutely no idea what to do next. He certainly couldn't unravel the barrier with his limited kido skills. Shrugging Renji decided to do the only thing that occurred to him. He knocked.

For a very long moment nothing happened. And then the barrier rippled into the visible spectrum a tall, rectangular section of it swinging inwards like a door. Renji stepped through it without hesitating. The inside of the warehouse was awash in shadow, the sunlight shining down through the holes in the roof providing the only light. It was also as abandoned as it appeared. He could however, hear the sound of voices and the crashes and booms of battle from somewhere near the back. Following the noises led Renji to the top of a narrow staircase that was set into the floor.

The top of the stairs were very dark and Renji nearly tripped and fell several times. Everything brightened, however, the closer he got to the bottom, the stairs widening as he went. Finally he stepped down into a perfect recreation of the practice area under Urahara's shop, right down to the fluffy white clouds painted on the sky. And, standing where the bottom of the stairs met dirt, was a man with cropped blond hair, brown eyes, and a lackadaisical expression that still somehow managed to be threatening.

"Welcome Soul Reaper," the man said, his voice as utterly bored as his expression. "It's impressive that you managed to find us. But I can't help but wonder what on earth you're doing here." Renji inspected the man more carefully as he stepped off the last step and stopped right in front of him. He definitely recognized this man. He had seen him once before in the aftermath of the Winter War- he the leader of the group that called themselves the Vizards.

"I'm looking for someone," Renji answered stoically.

"Is that so. What makes you think they're here?"

"No one's been able to find her. So why wouldn't she be somewhere where she isn't supposed to be found?"

The corners of Shinji Hirako's mouth curved upwards into an amused smirk. "A very interesting point. I'm guessing you're talking about Ichigo Kurosaki's daughter." Shinji didn't wait for Renji's nod of approval before continuing. "Why are you looking for her?"

At this Renji shifted uncomfortably, suddenly feeling nervous. "I need to talk to her."

Shinji's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've seen you somewhere before. After that big showdown with Aizen…?"

"Yes sir," Renji replied, slightly thrown by the sudden change of topic. "I'm the Lieutenant of Squad Six now as I was then."

"With the Kuchiki brat?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Follow me." Shinji's careless air was back as he spun on his heel and began to lead the way towards the fight that was still going on. Feeling a bit bewildered Renji followed. This Shinji guy was hard to read.

Shinji led Renji to the edge of a big valley set into the middle of the massive room. Down in the bottom of it he could just make out two figures fighting, one in a shihakusho, the other a red tracksuit. The reiatsu they were giving off was enormous. Shinji dropped down in the valley and approached the two figures, completely heedless of his safety, with Renji close on his heels.

"Hey! Hiyori! Time out!"

The figure in the tracksuit paused in midair and a jolt of panic shot through Renji's stomach as he caught sight of her face. It was covered by a Hollow mask. "What the hell do you want, Shinji?" she shouted irritably, her voice strangely distorted.

"Sachi has a visitor," Shinji replied, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder to indicate Renji.

The other figure, who had long, bright orange hair, suddenly shot out of a cloud of dust, forcing Hiyori to duck as she swung an enormous zanpakuto at Hiyori's head. Hiyori cursed loudly before shouting at the other figure. "Hold on for a freaking second will ya? There's someone here to see you!"

Sachi paused, her body language clearly indicating confusion, before turning towards Shinji and Renji. Renji felt a thrill of terror as he saw that she too had a Hollow mask over her face. It was the same one too, with the dark blue starburst and the pointy teeth. He saw her eyes- the whites now black and the irises gold- widen before the mask abruptly dissolved away. Renji felt guilty about how relieved he felt with the mask now gone. Slowly Sachi lowered herself to the ground, her gaze locked with Renji's the entire time.

"Renji?" Sachi asked quietly, but her voice carried in the sudden stillness. Her tone was shaky and it sounded like she didn't quite believe that he was standing there in front of her. Renji gave her a reassuring smile. Sachi's own expression suddenly changed and she raced forward wearing a dazzling grin only to slow to a halt a few feet from Renji. Her expression dropped again as well, every line oozing worry and regret.

"Renji…are you really ok?"

"What? Of course I am. Orihime's skills are amazing."

"I'm glad." Sachi's dropped her eyes and fixed them on the floor. Renji was confused. Why was she acting like this? Surely she didn't blame herself? He had thought she might, but really hoped that she wouldn't. "Renji…I'm sorry." Renji was startled to hear her voice threaten to crack. He was even more alarmed to see her shoulders start to shake with silent sobs. "I'm really, _really _sorry. I didn't mean to…to…"

"It's ok," Renji interrupted, feeling slightly frantic. "Really it was my fault. I stepped in to stop you so it's my problem that I got hurt. You've got nothing to feel guilty about."

"But…I was out of control. I didn't even know you were there. I could have…you could have…"

"Sachi. Stop it." Renji's voice was firm, but kind. Sachi looked up, tears in her eyes, as Renji laid his hands on her shoulders. She was startled by the tenderness in his gaze as he continued. "It's not your fault, ok? And I'm fine. Really. Stop beating yourself up about it."

"R-renji…" New tears began to flow as Sachi threw her arms around him. But this time they were tears of joy. She'd been so frightened that he would hate her, fear her for what had happened. But here he was, perfectly healthy and just as accepting as always. He'd never blamed her at all. Sachi had never been so happy in her life.

And Renji? Renji was just glad to get the chance to hold her again.

"Awww that is so cute! So who he is he Sachi, who is he? Oh! Is he your boyfriend?"

With a yelp of embarrassment Sachi pulled away from Renji and turned her now angry gaze on the green-haired Mashiro who was currently squealing in joy. "Mashiro! Shut up!"

Mashiro took one look at Sachi's and Renji's matching blushes before clapping her hands together in glee. "Oh I was right! He is, he is!"

"No, he isn't!" Sachi yelled back, her expression horrified.

Mashiro was prevented from answering by the sudden appearance of Kensei who grabbed the back of her collar and began to drag her away. "That's enough, Mashiro," Kensei said calmly as Mashiro whined and flailed. Kensei paused, however, and glanced back over his shoulder. "I'm not sure I approve though, Sachi. He looks like a punk."

"Kensei, not you too!" Sachi shouted, outraged.

"I don't see what you're getting so upset about," Lisa commented appearing out of nowhere with Love and Rose. "It's totally normally for a girl your age to be interested in exploring her sexuality."

"Yea," Love commented, with a big, shit-eating grin. "Just make sure you use protection."

"Love is such a beautiful thing!" Rose exclaimed in that eloquent way he had.

"This. Isn't. Happening," Sachi moaned, completely mortified. She slapped her hands over her very red face and tried not to die of embarrassment.

Beside her Renji was feeling extremely awkward, his blush an equal match for Sachi's. "Don't I get a say in this?" he muttered glumly under his breath.

"Well that's enough of that I think," Shinji said as Hiyori began to berate the others for making nuisances of themselves. "You've said what you needed to say right? So get lost," he told Renji.

Renji took a deep breath. "Actually I was hoping I could stay a while. To train with you guys."

That got Shinji's attention. "Train with us?" Renji nodded and then began the very long explanation of what had occurred in the Soul Society two days ago. He concluded with their suspicion that Aizen was somehow involved.

When Renji was done Shinji let out a long, low whistle. As soon as he'd learned that Aizen was just imprisoned and not actually dead he'd figured that they'd be seeing him again at some point. But not this soon and not like this.

"Anyways," Renji continued. "I figure that if all the former Espada are going to help free Aizen or something that they're going to expect a reward. And why not do what they did with Tousen- give them powers like you? I want to train with you guys to get some experience fighting people with those powers before I have to do it for real on the battlefield."

Shinji inspected Renji closely. He was rather impressed by the kid's determination and the hopeful, but confident look in his eye. Ever so slowly Shinji's mouth curled into his characteristic Cheshire grin. This could be very, very interesting. "Alright. I think we can arrange something. Hacchi." Shinji threw a glance at the large, pink-haired man behind him. "Beef up the barrier."

He turned back to Renji. "Let's see if the Soul Reaper can survive our training."

**Author's Note:**

_And the plot thickens. __*evil laughter* And yes, if you were wondering, I have been planning all of this from the very beginning. But the plot still hasn't been fully revealed yet so there should still be some more surprises. And I apologize if I disappointed you by not showing Sachi's fight to control her Hollow, but I'm lazy and I don't really want to write it. And it happened in the same was as for Ichigo, so yea. And like Renji and Rukia Shinji looks like he does post timeskip- which is pretty much the same except for his bangs. Also, obviously, the Vizards did not rejoin the Soul Reapers after the Winter War for the purposes of this story._

_So there are a couple of other things that I introduced in this chapter. The first is Ulquiorra/the other Espada as Soul Reapers. First of all I love this idea and wish it was used more often. It makes sense to me because all the Esapda _were _killed by Soul Reapers and as such should have been reincarnated in Soul Society. I know some of them ended up in hell in canon, but I'm ignoring that (also I don't think that chapter had been published when I first came up with idea for this story). The second is older!Hitsugaya. Why? Because it's no fun if he's always a kid (and I'm also a HitsuMatsu fan, though I'm not yet sure whether I'm going to get into that pairing or not)._

_Also I mentioned a few times that Ulquiorra is more expressive now than he was as a Hollow. That probably didn't make a lot of sense, but I'm going to go into that more in later chapters. The way I figure it is because he isn't a Hollow anymore he doesn't have to represent emptiness anymore and can therefore feel a lot more emotion and can freely express it. Though he's still pretty emotionally neutral compared to a lot of the other characters. I promise it'll make more sense as we go._

_Ten more reviews! Yay! And- even more exciting- this story now has over a hundred reviews. It's my second one that's reached that mark it makes me so, so happy that there are so many people out there who love this story. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! And thank you, especially, to my reviewers: the two anonymous guests, Zororenjilover, RedTheAmazing, Lady Island Rose, Xxdreamergirl95xX, Shadow knight 1121, Magimagus, LadyAmazon, and Luafua! _

_Whoo! So my updating schedule should be a little faster now as I now have more free time. And I also now how a deviantart account if anyone is interested. The url is in my profile._

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** _I do not own Bleach or anyone or anything from Bleach. It's as simple as that. Everything else, however, is mine. :D _

_**WARNING: **__Grimmjow's mouth!_

**Chapter 21: The Opening Salvo **

Grimmjow slouched out onto the porch of the shop, his hands in his pockets, and slid the door shut with his foot.

"Ah, Grimm-san. Have you come to join me for some moon gazing? It's a lovely night for it."

"The fuck?!" Grimmjow flinched violently before turning a glare on Urahara.

Urahara merely chuckled. He sat, gaze turned upwards, with his legs hanging over the edge of the porch. "I'm joking of course, though it is a lovely night. I'm sure you've got better reasons for coming outside, however."

Grimmjow muttered something extremely insulting under his breath before turning away. He did look up at the moon, however. It was full tonight and that was strange for Grimmjow to see. The moon in this the world changed, waxing and waning as time passed. It was so unlike Hueco Mundo's moon, which was forever a crescent. Grimmjow had no memory of coming to the real world as a lower level Hollow, but after spending several days here he thought he now understood why so many risked themselves again and again to return here.

Grimmjow stepped down off the porch. "I'm going back to Hueco Mundo."

"Is that so?"

"Yea," Grimmjow growled, throwing another glower over his shoulder at Urahara. He didn't like the Soul Reaper with the funny hat very much. He reminded him too much of Aizen. "I've been gone for too long. It's my kingdom and I'm not about to let a bunch of stupid Soul Reapers take over it again."

"Would you like some assistance?" Urahara asked, all traces of frivolity gone.

Grimmjow's temper flared. "Fuck no! I don't need help!" With that he opened a garganta and stalked inside, quickly disappearing into the swirling nothingness.

Urahara sighed as the garganta closed behind him. He hadn't actually thought that the Arrancar would accept his help, but he'd felt obligated to offer it anyways. He was certain that whatever was going on was beyond anyone's ability to anticipate. Aizen was just that kind of opponent. And as much as Urahara enjoyed playing this very dangerous kind of chess he wanted to end the game before things got out of hand.

And there had been one very small part of him that had hoped Grimmjow would accept his help. While Arrancars didn't have hearts- the holes in their bodies attested to this fact clearly enough- they did have zanpakutos. And, as he'd learned during Grimmjow's stay, that did something to ease the emptiness of a Hollow's existence, to bring them closer to something resembling the human they once were.

Urahara turned his gaze upwards to the moon again and sighed once more, his mind swirling with half-complete plans and the very strong sense of looming danger.

…

Toshiro glanced around the table, arms folded across his chest and his scowl fixed firmly in place. There were all accounted for except for one. This displeased him— no. It pissed him off. "Where's Grimmjow?" he finally asked.

They were meeting once again to try and figure out what Aizen's plan could possibly be and what Mom—…Hinamori's next move would be. Gathered around the table with him were his two subordinates, Urahara, Yoruichi, Rukia, and Ichigo. Renji was absent as well- apparently he had disappeared just like Ichigo's daughter- and while Toshiro wasn't pleased there was little he could do about it. All in all Toshiro's day was not getting off to a satisfying start.

"He's gone. He returned to Hueco Mundo last night."

Everyone turned startled gazes on Urahara. "What?" Toshiro asked, stunned. "By himself?"

Urahara shrugged. "I offered my assistance, but he refused."

"He would," Ulquiorra sighed. "He's too prideful and too stupid to accept help. Especially from us." If Toshiro didn't know better he would have thought there was something regretful in the other Soul Reaper's tone.

"In any case there's nothing we can do about it now," Toshiro ground out, rubbing at the spot where his nose met his forehead in an attempt to alleviate the headache that had already started behind his eyes. "We'll just have to carry on without him."

Toshiro glanced at everyone gathered around the table in turn before continuing. "We've already discussed this, but I want to go over it again just to make sure we didn't miss anything. So, why do—"

"Hold that thought, Hitsugaya-taicho." Toshiro irritably turned to Urahara as he stood.

"Urahara, what are you…" Toshiro's voice trailed off as what was unmistakably a knock on the front door echoed back through the shop. Without another word Urahara swept out of the room.

Everyone was quiet as they listened to Urahara answer the door. There was another man there and they spoke for several minutes before the soft thump of footsteps announced Urahara's return.

Toshiro's eyes went unbelievably wide and shock rippled through his body once he saw who Urahara's newest guest was. "I would like to introduce Gin Ichihara," Urahara said, his tone a forcefully controlled neutral.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Ichihara replied, that haunting smile on his lips as he bobbed a quick bow.

Toshiro's brain just couldn't process it. He looked just like him, _he looked exactly like him_. Even the reiatsu that slithered into the room like was the same. The only difference was his hair color.

Ichihara chuckled. "That look you all are giving me sure is familiar. Like you've all just seen a ghost. I had a student who gave me that exact same look the first time we met. Renji Abarai, I think his name was."

That statement definitely provoked a reaction. There was a flurry of movement as hands suddenly went to the hilts of swords or clenched into fists. Ichihara took an involuntary step backwards at the sudden hostility.

Toshiro did his best to force himself to calm down. No matter how much this man looked like Ichimaru, he wasn't him. He didn't deserve to feel all the lingering animosity that Toshiro and most of the others in the room carried. And Toshiro wasn't sure how much he hated Ichimaru anymore anyways. His final act of double-crossing Aizen certainly hadn't erased the smear of his earlier betrayal, but, somehow, Toshiro understood that he'd done what he thought was best.

Urahara let out a low sigh as he settled on the floor once more. "Please have a seat Ichihara-san. And I think it'd be best if you told everyone what you told me at the door to, ah, explain your presence here."

"Of course," Ichihara replied, sitting as well. Toshiro couldn't suppress his shiver as the man's smile widened. "Well I suppose it all goes back to Renji Abarai, actually. There was a certain incident several years ago with him and another one of my students- Sachi Kurosaki."

"You teach my daughter?" Ichigo exclaimed. Toshiro noted it was more of an accusation than a question.

"Why yes, I do. I'm a history teacher at her high school. It's an honor to meet you Kurosaki-san." Ichigo didn't reply. After a long and awkward pause Ichihara cleared his throat and continued.

"In any case there was a certain incident several years ago that resulted in Kurosaki-san being turned into a Soul Reaper. I have powers of my own and have been combating Hollows in Nagasaki for a long time, but the appearance of two Soul Reapers seemed like a stroke of good luck. I made a deal with Abarai-san and Kurosaki-san to divide the work between us. Kurosaki-san and I maintain that agreement to this day when she's in Nagasaki."

"I was aware that she returned here for the summer of course and that she carried out her Soul Reaper duties here. But I was very surprised when there was a fight here several days ago that was so intense I could feel it in Nagasaki. Not only was Kurosaki-san fighting an incredibly powerful Hollow, but Abarai-san had returned as well. So, curious and concerned, I decided to come and see what had happened and if there was anything I could do to help. So, here I am."

Ichihara gazed around the room at everyone, his grin fixed firmly in place. Again no one responded, everyone still too stunned to do more than stare. "Ah, there it is again," Ichihara commented, his tone casual. "I would love to know why all you Soul Reapers keep giving me that look."

"It's a very long story, Ichihara-san," Urahara said softly.

"That's alright. I'm very curious."

"Well—"

The teacups on the table rattled loudly as Rangiku abruptly stood. Everyone turned to stare at her, but her gaze was fixed on Ichihara. Her face was blank, but the expression in her eyes was contorted in pain. "E-excuse me," she said, her voice shaky. "I'm going to…ah…use the restroom." With that she turned and fled the room.

"Matsumoto!" Toshiro called, beginning to rise, but he was stopped by Yoruichi's hand on his arm.

Toshiro turned to glare at her and was surprised to see sympathy in her expression. "Just give her some time to herself," she whispered.

Toshiro looked at the door again, worry twisting in his gut. With a sigh he sat back down again. Yoruichi was probably right. But he really hoped she'd be ok by herself.

…

Rangiku collapsed to her knees as soon as she'd shut the door to the room she was staying in. She tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't and so they fell, dripping onto the tatami floor and shaking her shoulders with shuddering sobs.

Gin. _Gin._

She'd never imagined that she'd see him again like this. She'd been devastated when he'd died. Especially after his last, final act of heroism as he'd attempted to stop Aizen. For a long time she'd lost herself in drink, hoping that the alcoholic haze would ease the pain.

It didn't, of course. And, eventually, she'd become so disgusted with herself that she'd nearly stopped drinking altogether. She threw herself into her work and training like she never had before, though she still did everything she could to annoy her adorable captain and show him that life was far more fun than he thought it was. Part of it was always an act though and somehow she knew that Toshiro saw through it. But, slowly but surely, Rangiku had healed. She'd been able to carry on her with her life sad that Gin was gone, but happy she'd that he'd been in it all the same.

But now…now Rangiku felt every little bandage and stitch that she'd put in place to cover the hole in heart coming undone. He was just so much like _him_. His face, his smile, his voice, even his reiatsu was _exactly the same_. But that man wasn't Gin. Wasn't _her_ Gin. And Rangiku just couldn't handle it.

Rangiku curled herself into the tightest ball she could as she felt her heart breaking all over again.

…

A week passed, but nothing happened. Toshiro was starting to go stir crazy. They'd conducted their investigation about Sachi's fight with Grimmjow as best they could with all the main actors gone and delivered their report to Soul Society. They'd also hashed and rehashed every possible angle on the newest desertion from Soul Society until it made Toshiro's head spin.

But they hadn't figured anything out. And there hadn't been any word from Grimmjow either. So that just left Toshiro frustrated and impatient as he waited in Urahara's cramped little shop for something to happen.

The fact that Ichihara was still around didn't help anything. He'd also settled in the shop, claiming that he wanted to be around in case something else happened so that he could help. His presence dramatically increased the tension in the air in whatever room he was in and Rangiku had become incredibly skittish. Toshiro also knew that she'd become reacquainted with sake over the past week. As much as it bothered him he didn't blame her. Ichihara unnerved him too.

In any case, Toshiro feel like he was about to explode at any moment. Tapping his fingers against his elbows as he sat leaning back against a wall in Urahara's dining room didn't help. Urahara, humming along with the song on the radio as he went over his inventory, seemed completely relaxed. So did Yoruichi, who had apparently fallen asleep lounging on the floor. Ulquiorra never seemed upset and so it was only natural that he sat there calmly drinking tea. Down the hall Toshiro could hear the TV- Tessai was watching some kind of silly game show with the young woman who also lived in the shop. Ichihara and Rangiku were somewhere else, though that wasn't unusual as they'd both kept to themselves a lot the past couple of days.

Toshiro sighed and slouched further down, scowling at everything like the moody teenager he was. The domesticity of it all made him want to scream. Something was coming. He knew it was. And he couldn't handle waiting anymore!

In retrospect, Toshiro often thought that perhaps he should have been more appreciative of the downtime he'd had. At the time, however, all he could feel was dread as the gargantas opened in the sky above Karakura.

Yoruichi was up in a flash as though she'd never been asleep. Urahara mysteriously had all his papers, which had previously been scattered all over the table, in order. The sound of Tessai and Ururu running past echoed in the hallway as Toshiro scrambled for his zanpakuto.

He'd only taken one step towards the door right behind Urahara and Yoruichi, however, when the flash of light off naked steel stopped him. Ulquiorra stood in the doorway, his bare blade in his hand and his face as impassive as always.

"Ulquiorra," Toshiro growled, his hand going to the hilt of his zanpakuto. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm afraid I can't allow you or anyone else in this room to pass, Hitsugaya-taicho. Hinamori-sama has important business here and you cannot be allowed to interfere."

"So you've been lying all this time? You're betraying us, as well?!"

"Yes." There was no hesitation in his reply.

Toshiro's blood boiled. "You bastard," he snarled, making to draw his sword, but pausing when Urahara held out a hand to stop him.

"What?!" Toshiro snapped. The other man ignored him.

"Are you sure there is no way for us to convince you to let us go?" Urahara asked Ulquiorra. "No terms you'd be willing to negotiate?"

Toshiro thought he saw indecision flicker briefly in Ulquiorra's eyes before he answered with a curt shake of his head. "No. My orders are clear."

The only warning they got was the pounding of running feet before the door to the dining room was suddenly thrown open. "Urahara-san! There are Arrancars and…and…" Toshiro watched in wide-eyed surprise as Orihime's voice died in her throat.

Orihime couldn't believe it. She really just couldn't. She was dreaming. She had to be. Ulquiorra stood before her in Soul Reaper robes, an unsheathed zanpakuto in his hands. His mask and the markings on his face were gone. But those eyes…those bright green eyes she would recognize anywhere.

Orihime felt her heart rate increase, as he looked at her with eyes filled with wonder. That was a strange thing from Ulquiorra. He didn't feel wonder or awe or anything as powerful or positive as that. But there it was, written as plain as day on his face.

Orihime didn't know what it meant exactly, but the sadness that had weighed down her heart since that day in Hueco Mundo was gone. And it was the sudden lightness in her chest that allowed her to utter his name. "U-Ulquiorra?"

The sound of his name on her lips shattered the spell that the woman's appearance had cast on Ulquiorra. He recognized her instantly, of course, and despite what the years had done to her they'd been kind. She was still beautiful. Ulquiorra had known this objectively all those years ago, but now he truly felt it. It baffled him to find his heart suddenly racing and his cheeks warming.

In that very last moment before his death as an Arrancar he'd grasped what it meant to have a heart. But he'd never really tapped into those feelings after his rebirth in Soul Society. He'd carried on, living day in and day out simply because that is what one does when alive. His work as a Soul Reaper brought him no great joy. It was just his duty. But now, for the first time in any existence that he could remember, he felt truly alive.

Ulquiorra didn't really understand his feelings. He didn't understand why the woman made his heart race and his palms sweat and his stomach all tingly. But he did know that he liked it. And that he was…_happy_ to see her again.

"Woman?"

And then she was gone, taken in a burst of shunpo by Yoruichi as she and Toshiro took advantage of Ulquiorra's distraction to make a break for the door. Ulquiorra didn't understand his sudden sharp sadness that the woman's disappearance caused anymore than he had the joy. All he knew was that he suddenly didn't feel like fighting anymore.

"So, Cifer-san…" Ulquiorra glanced morosely over his shoulder at Urahara, who was giving him a knowing smile. "What are you going to do now?

…

Ichigo nearly dropped the plate he was washing when he felt the garganta open almost directly above his house. Rukia was on her feet in an instant, racing for the door with Ichigo hot on her heels, the plate once again submerged at the bottom of the sink. They skidded to a stop in the middle of the street just in time to see two figures stumble out from the garganta and fall more than descend to the ground.

As they passed underneath the light of the street lamps Ichigo was finally able to see who they were. "Grimmjow! Nel?!" They landed in the middle of the street, the full-grown Nel supporting the unconscious Grimmjow with his arm around her shoulders.

Rukia dropped her hand from the hilt of her zanpakuto as Nel glanced up, her eyes widening in excitement and relief. "Itsygo!"

"What happened?" Ichigo asked, rushing forward.

"Grimmjow-sama confronted the Soul Reapers who look like the Espada. I stopped them from killing him, but there wasn't anywhere safe to run so I decided to come here." Nel's expression, which was weary and worried, softened slightly as she met Ichigo's eyes. "It's good to see you again."

Ichigo's eyes roved over the two Arrancars. They were both worse for the wear. Nel, dressed in a tattered white Arrancar uniform, was covered in scratches and gashes that oozed blood. Grimmjow's injuries were far more serious, however. He was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds, the largest being a deep cut in his side. His clothing was soaked crimson and blood was quickly pooling beneath him in the street.

"Let's get him inside," Ichigo said, falling back into doctor mode. He moved to Grimmjow's other side and pulled his free arm over his shoulders. Rukia rushed to open the door to the clinic.

"Itsygo, there's something else I need to tell you," Nel began, but Ichigo cut her off.

"Tell me as we go. I need to stop the bleeding if he's going to have any chance of surviving until Orihime can get here."

"But Itysgo—"

Nel didn't speak again as her attention was diverted to bringing Grimmjow inside and into an exam room. It wasn't until after they'd heaved the other Arrancar onto the table that she tried again. "Itsygo—"

"Rukia, get me some gauze and bandages please."

"Itsy—"

"Here you go."

"Hey Itsyg—"

"Don't you fucking touch me!" At that weak snarl all eyes snapped to Grimmjow, who was glaring up at Ichigo with unfocused eyes.

Ichigo, who had frozen temporarily in surprise, jabbed a large wad of gauze into the wound in Grimmjow's side eliciting a hiss from the other man. "Shut up or you'll bleed to death," he snapped back.

"Itsygo!"

"I don't fucking care," Grimmjow panted, his face contorted in pain. "If you touch me one more fucking time I'm…gonna…"

Grimmjow's voice died in his throat as reiatsu suddenly pulsed in the air all around them. Above the house and all over Karakura gargantas were opening, allowing a flood of Arrancars and the traitorous Soul Reapers into the real world.

Ichigo swallowed hard as he trained his eyes on the ceiling, the pressure of the reiatsu from the beings in the air above making his limbs feel heavy. "What…What's…"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Nel shouted, her patience gone. "They're coming!"

Ichigo turned to Nel, as a cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck. The presence of this many strong Arrancars and Soul Reapers who were doing nothing to suppress their reiatsu was hard on his body. That and the fact that they were _everywhere_. Karakura and its defenders didn't stand a chance.

"I'm sorry Nel," he muttered, his mind still in the air above the house.

"Ichigo." Ichigo started as he felt Rukia's gentle hand on his arm. He looked down and met her gaze and suddenly felt a wave of calm wash over him. Her deep purple eyes were kind and tender as she offered him a gentle smile. "Don't worry. Nel and I will take care of this."

Rukia turned to the other woman, her expression now one of a hardened warrior. Nel met her eyes steadily and nodded. They both headed for the door, but Rukia paused as Ichigo called her name.

She looked back over her shoulder at him. The corners of his mouth were turned down into his characteristic frown, but there was only worry in his eyes. Worry that he'd lose her again. Rukia couldn't stop herself from smiling as warmth filled her chest.

"I'll be fine, Ichigo."

Ichigo felt his anxiety ease slightly as Rukia turned around and darted for the door. There was no uncertainty in her voice and her confidence gave him confidence. She _would_ be fine.

"You all make me want to puke," Grimmjow muttered under his breath, his tone bordering on petulant.

Ichigo jabbed another wad of gauze into Grimmjow's side causing the Arrancar to flinch before fixing Ichigo with a fierce glower. "Shut up."

…

Uryuu was just finishing up some paperwork at the hospital when the gargantas opened. He was so surprised that his pen slipped, causing what was supposed to be his signature to be a tangled mess. Uryuu glared at it irritably for a moment before pushing his glasses up his nose and sweeping out of his office.

The night air whipped at Uryuu's clothes as he stepped out onto the roof. One of the gargantas had opened nearby and he wasn't surprised to see a figure waiting for him.

"Ah, the Quincy. How nice that I get to play with you again."

Uryuu looked up into the smirking face of Szayelapporo Granz. Uryuu had been told that the former Espada had been reborn in Soul Society and recently defected so he wasn't surprised to see the other man dressed once again in an Arrancar uniform. His glasses were no longer the stylized version of his Hollow mask and were now simple wire frames. Several Arrancars stood behind him, all looking appropriately cowed.

"It's interesting that you would say that," Uryuu commented dryly. "Considering how things ended for you last time."

Szayelapporo's smirk faded a bit before returning full force, something psychotic glinting in his yellow eyes. "A halfway decent point, Quincy. If you remember, however, it wasn't you who ended me, but Mayuri Kurotsuchi. You and that pathetic Renji Abarai were helpless against me until he showed up!" Szayelapporo laughed.

"That's true," Uryuu replied coolly. "But I don't like Kurotsuchi. In fact I hate him. And you can be sure that I've worked very hard to make sure that I'll never be beholden to him again."

"Be careful," Szayelapporo replied playfully, the Arrancars behind him shifting uncomfortably. "I've spent the last 29 years working under that man. I doubt there's anything that you could come up with that would possibly beat him, let alone me." Szayelapporo laughed again and then slowly drew his zanpakuto, allowing it to screech as it exited its sheath. "Come, Quincy. Let's play. I want to see what the years have wrought you."

Uryuu allowed himself to smirk as he unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt sleeve, letting his Quincy Cross dangle free. "Yes, let's."

…

Izumi played with her dinner with her fork, unable to do anything more than pick at it.

"What's wrong?" Kenji asked, coming up beside her and placing another glass of water next to her plate.

Izumi turned to him, expression downcast, and bit her lip. "It's just…I don't know what to do anymore."

Kenji sighed silently before sliding onto the stool next to hers. There were in her father's Mexican restaurant where Kenji worked as a waiter. Izumi helped out at her mother's dojo just down the street, so she often came by for dinner. It was unusual for her to be this quiet, however. Normally she would spend her time chatting with the regular customers or singing along with the loud Mexican music. Something had to really be bothering her.

"It has to with Sachi, doesn't it?"

Izumi turned away and fixed an ashamed gaze on her plate. "Yes. I'm worried about her. And I feel really bad for being so scared of her before. I know she didn't do all that stuff on purpose but…" Izumi's voice became a whisper here and Kenji had to lean in to hear her over the noise of the restaurant. "I'm still scared."

Kenji sighed again and adjusted his glasses. He'd been scared of Sachi too after seeing her Hollowfication and, if he was being honest, he was still kind of scared. But Sachi was his oldest friend besides Izumi. And her Hollow was a part of her. He was the kind of person who didn't let a lot worry him so it was something he'd already moved past.

Izumi however…she was the kind of person who would beat herself up about stuff until it drove her mad.

Kenji gently reached out and laid his hand on top of hers. "Please don't work yourself up over this," he said kindly, a faint blush staining his cheeks. Even after two years together Kenji was still shy about showing physical affection. "I know Sachi won't be mad at you when she gets back. We'll just talk it over with her then. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You're right." Izumi sighed. She gave Kenji a fond smile. "Thank you. I feel better now."

Kenji didn't even have the chance to return Izumi's smile as the gargantas opened overhead. The two of them froze, fear turning their blood to ice as the reiatsu of Soul Reapers and Arrancars oozed over the city.

There was a massive clatter from the kitchen and Chad dashed out. He glanced frantically around the restaurant and spotting Izumi and Kenji seated at the bar. "Stay here," he told them before sprinting for the front door. Izumi and Kenji, shaken from their shock by the racket from the kitchen, exchanged terrified glances before following Chad out the door.

Chad only made it halfway down the street before he was under attack, a massive ball of energy bearing down on him.

"Dad!" Izuimi shrieked as it hit, creating a massive explosion.

The smoke cleared, revealing Chad with the full shield of his Brazo Derecho de Gigante activated. Chad looked skyward, searching for his attacker. "Yammy," he breathed.

Kenji looked up and swallowed nervously. In the sky above them was a giant of a man with bushy orange eyebrows and a nasty look on his face. Beside him was a smaller man with dark skin and several Arrancars stood ranged behind the two.

"Hey, I recognize you," Yammy said, pointing at Chad. "You're one of the little fleas that tried to kill me in Hueco Mundo." Chad didn't respond. "Not very talkative huh? Well, whatever. You'll be dead in a minute anyways."

"No. I won't," Chad finally replied, his deep voice easily carrying in the night air.

"Eh? What was that?" Yammy sneered.

"I said you're wrong. You're nowhere near as strong as you were when you were an Espada and I've gotten stronger since I was in Hueco Mundo. I'm going to be the one who wins this fight."

"What was that?" Yammy snarled, his eyebrow twitching in irritation.

"Enough of this banter, Yammy. We have a mission to carry out from Hinamori-sama. That should be our focus," the dark skinned man said.

"Shut up, Zommari! But fine. The big one is mine."

"I see. So you'll leave me with those children," Zommari replied scornfully. His eyes widened as a blue arrow shot by his face, missing his ear by a hair's breadth.

"We may be children," Kenji called, his voice chilly. "But we'll be more than enough to take care of you."

"Izumi…Kenji…" Chad murmured, looking over his shoulder at the two of them. "Go back to the restaurant."

"No dad," Izumi replied, stepping forward, her own armor activating and coating her limbs. "Two Soul Reapers and all those Arrancars are too much for you to handle on your own. Kenji and I are going to help. Right, Kenji?" Kenji nodded affirmatively, pushing his glasses up his nose as he did so. Izumi shot her father a smile before turning back towards their enemies in the sky, her eyes hard.

Chad felt his lips quirk upwards in a smile. Tonight he had yet another reason to be proud of his only daughter.

…

Renji's tumbling fall finally came to a halt, leaving him in a pile of rubble from a broken boulder. He ached all over and he really just wanted to lie there for a while. Maybe even take a nap. Unfortunately that wasn't an option.

"Look alive, Renji!" Love shouted, his voice distorted through his mask, before swinging his released zanpakuto down towards the other man. Renji scrambled to his feet and managed to get out of the way just in time. There was a massive cracking sound as the ground behind him broke and the remains of the boulder were ground into dust.

Renji didn't even have time to catch his breath has the sound of a guitar chord echoed above him. He threw himself to the side as Rose's zanpakuto smashed into the ground. It bounced, heading straight for Renji's head until Renji deflected it upwards with Zabimaru.

There was a massive explosion somewhere to Renji's right and he blinked, wide-eyed, as a blur of black and orange shot past him, missing him by barely more than a foot. "Sachi!" Renji called after her as she tumbled through the dirt.

"Pay attention to your own fight, baldy!" Hiyori snapped, pausing before Renji and shooting him a glare from behind her Hollow mask.

There was a shout of 'Getsuga Tensho!' and Hiyori flinched before disappearing. "Shit!" Sachi's attack roared past Renji before Sachi flickered to a stop in front of him.

"What were you saying, Hiyori?" Sachi called to the other girl who returned the snarky question with a rude gesture.

Sachi winked at Renji. It still gave him a bit of a shock every time he saw her with her Hollow mask on but he'd gotten used to it by now. It didn't frighten him anymore because it was a part of her and he loved her. All of her.

"Well don't just stand around flirting!" Hiyori finally shouted, her limited patience already spent.

"Yea, yea," Sachi replied, rolling her eyes, but Renji could tell she was smiling behind the mask.

Renji's was watching Sachi, a silly little grin on his face, when a shadow fell over him. "Eyes up here, lover boy." Renji jumped to the side once more as Lisa landed in the spot he had just been standing in.

Lisa swung the massive spear that was her released zanpakuto. Ordinarily Renji's dodge would have put him out of the way of an enemy, but with that spear Lisa's reach was ridiculous. Renji was forced to block with his own sword and quickly found himself being pushed sideways, his feet scrabbling for traction on the dusty ground.

It was then that the gargantas opened and the crushing reiatsu crashed over them all like a wave.

Sachi, halfway through an attack on Hiyori, froze. This pressure…she recognized it instantly. Arrancar. But there were so many. And there was Soul Reaper reiatsu mixed in with it. Could they be the Soul Reapers who had deserted from Soul Society a week ago?

She didn't know. She didn't care. She just knew that this was very, _very _bad. Sachi bolted for the stairs, her mask dissolving in her panic.

"Stop." Sachi put the brakes on so fast that she nearly fell over. Shinji was blocking her path. "You're not ready yet." Shinji's face was completely passive, like he didn't care one way or another if everyone Sachi had ever known or loved was in mortal danger. But she thought that for a moment she saw a faint glint of sympathy somewhere in the depths of his eyes.

"But…" Sachi knew she wasn't ready. That she couldn't fight using her full Hollow powers for more than a minute yet. But what could she do? They needed her! She couldn't let everyone die! The thought made her stomach roil and brought tears to her eyes.

Sachi stood there for a very long moment fighting with herself, torn between the part of her that screamed at her to run very fast and fight and the part that stood there quite calmly and stated that this was not a good idea. Sachi was so lost in thought that she jumped when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"I'll go." Sachi turned, surprised, to see Renji smiling at her warmly, his eyes tender in a way that gave her butterflies.

"But…"

"You're not ready yet. That's fine. I've been training my ass off and I feel great. You can leave this to me, don't worry."

Sachi bit her lip and dropped her eyes to her feet. She trusted Renji, of course she did. But she wanted to be there to help, to fight. And, as a little voice in the corner of her mind reminded her, she was stronger than him.

"Sachi…" Renji's voice was a quiet murmur this time, meant for her ears only. She hazarded another glance at him and quickly found herself trapped in his gaze. "You can trust me. I won't let anything happen to the people you care about. I promise."

Confidence. Conviction. And that emotion that Sachi had seen so often recently, but that she didn't dare put a name to. It was all there in his eyes. She felt her resistance grumbling. How could she not trust Renji to stop the enemies now looming in the sky over the city? She loved him. She knew he could do this.

"Ok," she whispered.

Renji flashed her a brief smile and gave her shoulder a squeeze before heading for the staircase. Hacchi healed him quickly, removing the damage done by his training, and he headed up the stairs with a nod of begrudging respect from Shinji. Sachi watched him go with a guilt-ridden expression and a worry heavy heart.

…

Toshiro felt his heart sink down to somewhere around the level of his feet as he stood in the middle of Urahara's yard and gazed upwards. Ever since it had been revealed that Momo had deserted with the former Espada he'd clung to the hope that things were not all they seemed. That Momo had somehow been forced to leave against her will or that she was under some kind of spell again.

But, as she smirked down at him with distinct self-importance, it was very clear that all traces of the girl he'd grown up with in Rukongai were gone. "You're making an awfully scary face Shiro-kun. Aren't you happy to see me?" she called, her tone mocking.

Pain rippled through Toshiro's chest and exacerbated the anger burning in his blood. "That's Hitsugaya-taicho to you," Toshiro snapped back, his tone frigid.

"Oooh, still so touchy."

"Please stop this Hinamori-sama," Tia said with thinly veiled contempt, taking a step forward. "We have a mission to complete and it does not involve provoking Hitsugaya-taicho."

Hinamori glanced over her shoulder at the former Espada. "You're right, of course," she replied with a cheerful smile. It was gone in a flash, replaced by a dangerous glint in her eye and a low, threatening tone. "But don't ever speak to me like that again. Remember that it is me who Aizen places absolute trust in."

"Yes. I'm sorry," Tia replied, dropping her gaze and looking appropriately chastised.

"Ah, Hinamori-taicho! Or I suppose I should say Hinamori-san now, shouldn't I? And Starrk-san and Louisenbairn-san and Hallibel-san! What a pleasant surprise! What can I offer you all from my humble shop today?"

All eyes turned to Urahara as he stepped down off the porch of his shop with a flourish. He glanced upwards wearing a friendly smile, but his eyes were steely.

"Quickly, Orihime," Yoruichi whispered to the other woman. They stood hidden in the shadows in the far corner of the yard. Yoruichi gave Orihime a gentle push down the alley that led out to the street. "It isn't going to be safe for you to be here soon."

"But what if someone gets hurt?" Orihime whispered back, her gaze jumping worriedly between Toshiro, Urahara, Tessai, and Ururu, who were all standing in the yard. Her eyes flicked upwards then to enemies she'd thought she'd never seen again. Anxiety twisted in her stomach.

"We'll be fine Orihime," Yoruichi assured her with a cocky grin. "Go where you're needed."

Orihime nodded once, hesitantly, before taking off down the alleyway. She'd barely reached the end when Baraggan's voice booming arrogantly from above her stopped her in her tracks. "Ulquiorra! I thought it was your job to make sure all the ants stayed inside the shop and out of our way?"

"That was my job." Orihime felt herself turning, as if in a dream. There, standing on the porch of the shop with his hands in his pockets and as coolly self-assured as always, was Ulquiorra. Orihime's breath caught in her throat and she realized that it really had been him standing in the shop a minute ago. It had been so surreal that she hadn't been sure once Yoruichi had whisked her away like she had. But she was sure now. He _was _alive.

Time seem to slow down for one very long and beautiful moment as Ulquiorra's brilliant green eyes flickered to the side and met Orihime's. She felt her heart jump nervously and excitedly and happily and in so many other ways. His gaze was filled with the same wonder as before and something else that made Orihime feel like she was floating.

As quickly as the moment came it was gone and Ulquiorra's gaze returned to the figures in the sky above him. "But I've had a change of heart." Those words made Orihime feel inexplicably giddy for some reason and so, feeling much happier than she should have considering the situation, she darted out of the alley and down the street.

Baraggan's response to Ulquiorra's pronouncement was to scoff. Momo just looked faintly amused. "Disappointing, but not surprising. In any case, it doesn't change anything."

Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed with just a hint of irritation. "We'll have to see about that."

"As amusing as this," Yoruichi interrupted, stepping up beside Urahara. "What exactly do you want here so badly that you would concentrate your strongest fighters here?" She eyed Momo, the three former Espada, and the Arrancar ranged behind them with scorn.

The corners of Momo's mouth curled upwards into a smirk. "Why don't you just ask Urahara? You know what I'm here for, correct?"

"Yes," Urahara replied, all his levity gone. "And you're not going to get it." His cane was had disappeared and in its place was his sheathed zanpakuto. He drew it slowly, letting the steel blade shriek against the scabbard. Toshiro and Ulquiorra echoed him, drawing their own swords, as Yoruichi, Tessai, and Ururu prepared to fight.

Momo's smirk widened and something not quite sane glinted in her eyes. Behind her the traitorous Soul Reapers and the Arrancar drew their own weapons. "We'll just have to see about that."

…

The night air was cool as Rukia ran back out into the street with Nel right behind her. In the air above them she could just make out several figures. In a few bounds she was up on the same level with them. Rukia heard Nel gasp as the other woman came to a stop beside her.

"Well, well. Nelliel. Long time, no see," Nnoitra sneered.

"B-but…but how?" Nel asked, staring at her onetime subordinate and nominal archenemy.

"Heh. Funny thing- apparently Hollows actually do go to Soul Society when they're killed by a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto." He motioned to the sword on his hip and his now present left eye.

Nel blinked, stunned, and then her expression hardened. "I see. In the long run it doesn't matter though. The outcome will be the same."

Nnoitra's grin turned into a crazed, eager smirk. "We'll see about that."

"Hold on a second," Rukia said, authority dripping in her tone. "What're you and the rest of the traitors doing here? What could you possibly gain by attacking Karakura?"

"That isn't any of your concern." "Stand down or we'll kill you all!"

Rukia's eyes roved to the men that had just spoken. The shape of Aaroniero Arruruerie's reincarnation in Soul Society was by far the strangest of all the former Espadas. He had taken the form of Siamese twins joined at the hip. They were both dark haired and skeletally thin, with sunken eyes and chalky skin. The one with the deeper voice was Aaroniero, the one with the higher Arruruerie. They both carried a zanpakuto.

"You think so, huh?" Rukia murmured softly. She took a step forward and drew her zanpakuto.

"No." "We know!"

The Arrancar's behind the two former Espada bristled. "The Arrancar is mine!" Nnoitra called to them before turning towards Nel with a manic grin. Nel's eyes narrowed, her hand wrapping around the hilt of her sword.

It was then that the shout echoed around them. "Howl! Zabimaru!" There was the sound of something whistling through the air followed by anguished cries as several of the Arrancars were cut down by Zabimaru. Renji leaped over the heads of Nnoitra, Aaroniero, and Arruruerie and skidded to a stop beside Rukia.

Nniotra scoffed as Aaroniero and Arruruerie glared. "Renji Abarai." "What an unpleasant surprise!"

"Heh…" Renji smirked confidently and then abruptly doubled over as Rukia punched him in the gut.

"Where the hell have you been?!" Rukia shouted.

Renji coughed violently before responding. "Training! And was that really necessary?!"

"Of course it was! And what do you mean, 'training'? Why did you have to disappear for a week to train?!" Rukia punched Renji again.

"Ack…damn it, Rukia!" Renji wheezed. "I was training with the Vizards, if you must know!"

Rukia froze, taken aback. "The Vizards?"

Straightening, Renji nodded. Then a flash a green caught his eye. "N-nel?"

Nel smiled and wiggled her fingers at him. "Hi!"

"W-what? B-but…!" Renji spluttered.

There was a human roar from above them. "I've had enough of this shit!" Nnoitra, eyes ablaze with rage, landed between the three of them and swung his sword violently.

Nel stopped him, the ringing clatter of steel on steel echoing as their swords crashed together. "I'm afraid we'll have to catch up later."

Renji and Rukia exchanged determined glances and turned to face their enemies.

Renji braced himself as Aaronerio and Arruruerie drew their own weapons and the remaining Arrancars followed suit. He could do this. He _had _to do this. For Sachi.

…

Rangiku jumped so badly when the garagantas opened that she nearly dropped the bottle of sake she'd been drinking from. She didn't hesitate to throw it across the room, however, as she scrambled to grab her zanpakuto from where it rested on her dresser. After some fumbling she managed to tie it to her belt and throw the door open.

As she darted out into the hallway a flash of black caught her eye. It was…Ichihara? Rnagiku paused. She knew that she was needed outside, that her captain needed her to have his back. But something about this just seemed strange. Why was Ichihara running farther into the shop when the enemies he'd claimed he'd come to help fight were right outside?

After a minute of wavering hesitation Rangiku turned away from the door that led outside and dashed after Ichihara, as if pulled along by an invisible force. He'd gone down into the training area beneath the shop. Cautiously Rangiku followed.

She glanced around as her feet hit the dirt at the bottom of the ladder. She didn't see Ichihara anywhere, but she could faintly feel his reiatsu on the far side of the massive room. She frowned. He was trying to hide it. Why? This was only getting more and more suspicious.

It was as Rangiku was approaching him, moving carefully between the shadows of the boulders and suppressing her own reiatsu, that the explosion went off. Surprised and alarmed Rangiku sprinted forwards, moving into shunpo until she rounded the corner of a narrow gulley and froze.

Ichihara was standing next to the outside wall of the training area, a large hole before him. Rangiku watched as he reached into it and pulled out something small and glowing.

With a horrified gasp Rangiku ducked back around the corner and pressed her back up against the wall of the gully. Her heart pounded and her mind filled with panic. She recognized it. Of course she did! How could she not?

_The Hogyoku!_

Rangiku didn't understand. What was it doing here? Why did Urahara have it? She thought it had been sealed away with Aizen!

Rangiku's panicked thoughts blocked her senses and she didn't notice Ichihara's approach until it was too late. He slammed Rangiku up against the wall at her back and seized both her wrists as she made to grab for Haineko.

"Nuh uh," Ichihara tutted, smiling, as he twisted Rangiku's wrists painfully. "I can't let you do that, now can I?"

"You bastard," Rangiku hissed, trying to forget how excruciatingly familiar Ichihara's face was. "What are you doing down here? Why do you have the Hogyoku?"

"Hmm? Oh, that was my mission."

"Your…mission…?" Something in Rangiku's brain shorted out. Cold dread pooled in her stomach. "You're betraying us." It wasn't a question.

"That's right!" Ichihara answered cheerfully. "Though I don't think I was really part of your group long enough for this to be considered a betrayal."

Rangiku's eyes lost their focus as she gazed out past his shoulder, struggling to understand. This was Gin. He wasn't _her_ Gin, but he was Gin. And he was betraying her again? She didn't understand…she didn't understand! The aching in her chest was so fierce that Rangiku was sure it was about to crack and spilt.

"Why?" It was the only thing she could think to ask, the word passing through her lips as barely more than a whisper.

"Why?" Ichihara's grin faltered and then fell away completely into a frown. "You want to know why…" he murmured.

"Tell me, Rangiku. Do you ever dream of your previous life as a human?" Rangiku gasped, her gaze snapping back to Ichihara's face. He'd never called her by her given name before. He stared back at her with heavily lidded eyes, pale blue irises glinting in the artificial sunlight.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Well, let me tell you, I've had dreams of my previous life as a Soul Reaper. Every night since I was a child they've haunted me. Faces of people I don't know, horrible things that I've never done." Ichihara sucked in a breath before his voice dropped, low and threatening. "And I _can't stand it_ anymore."

Rangiku was trapped in his gaze. She couldn't look away as fear, horror, and a strange attraction that she didn't understand kept her frozen. His eyes burned with a mixture of hatred, anger, and a desperation that Rangiku wasn't sure that she could- or even wanted to- name.

"But you know who's always haunted me the most?" Rangiku flinched as Ichihara released one of her wrists, preparing to be struck or killed. But, despite the danger, she couldn't find it in herself to stop him. She was completely and utterly shocked when she felt his fingers against her cheek, stroking her cheekbone once, soft and tenderly. "It's you, Rangiku."

Rangiku's heart was pounding in her throat. Tears pooled in her eyes and threatened to spill. There, in his eyes- that was _her _Gin. "G-gin," she managed to choke out.

Recognition flashed through Ichihara's eyes and he suddenly pulled away. He turned, took a couple steps away, and stood, shoulders taunt. "That's why I'm doing this." His voice was thick. "Because I just want to be a normal human. I'd do…anything for it."

Ichihara took the Hogyoku from his pocket and fingered it for a moment before glancing over his shoulder, sadness on his face. "Goodbye, Rangiku."

With that he was gone.

Rangiku collapsed to the ground, tears pouring unchecked from her eyes. She'd been able to handle losing him once. She'd gotten over losing him twice. But a third time? No. That was something she couldn't deal with.

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone. Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I don't really have an excuse beyond that I was busy, so hopefully the length (22 pages) and the fact that a lot of stuff happened will make up for it.

Anyways, things are really taking off now. Yes I made Momo the bad guy. Mainly because I just don't like her very much. And she already has an established relationship with Aizen, so meh. And I finally introduced some more of the pairings. In case you weren't sure they're UlquiHime, GinRan, and sort of GrimmNel (I'm actually more of a fan of NnoiNel so that will probably get some time at some point too). Still not sure if I'm going to work the HitsuMatsu in yet.

I got twelve reviews for the last chapter! Thank you so very, very much to Kurisetina, Imaginary Owls, Lady Island Rose, Kyoichi Amaya, RedTheAmazing, D happy, Zororenjilover, Xxdreamergirl95xX, Luafua, Magimagus, and shadowknight1121! I hope you all aren't too mad at me and you'll still review this chapter!

If you missed it with the author's note RedTheAmazing did the awesome cover art!

I've got only a couple weeks left in my semester, so hopefully the next update will come a bit sooner. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

_Thanks for reading! _

_**imagination junkie**_


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